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IJLw
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Ireland
WILLIAM C. BORLASE
f
1
*
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1-41 *
THE DOLMENS OF IRELAND.
io^le
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•*V'
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WILDE IRESCHE."
Dutch MS., Sacc. xvi ; Lib. Brit. Mus.. 28,330.
See page 1044.
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.-,eepaKexo44. Digitized by
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THE
DOLMENS OF IRELAND,
THEIR DISTRIBUTION, STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS.
AND AFFINITIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES;
TOGETHER WITH THE FOLK-LORE ATTACHING
TO THEM ; SUPPLEMENTED BY CONSIDERATIONS ON THE
ANTHROPOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY, AND TRADITIONS
OF THE IRISH PEOPLE.
•WITH FOUR MAPS, AND EIGHT HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS,
INCLUDING TWO COLOURED PLATES.
BY
WILLIAM COPELAND |pRLASE, M.A.,
LATE PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF CORNWALL,
AND ONE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON ;
BARRISTER-AT-LAW ;
AiUhor of *' Nicnia Cor nubia ; " *' Historical Sketch of the Tin- Trade in Cornwall ; "
'''' SunwaySy a Record of Rambles in Many Latids ;'' *^ Niphon and its Antiquities ;'
'* The Age of the Saints,'' etc.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, ld.
1897.
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TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, Bart.,
P.C, D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S.,
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OP LONDON,
A STUDENT OF ANTIQUITY, BY PERMISSION
DEDICATES HIS WORK, IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
THE SERVICE RENDERED BY THE AUTHOR OF
"PREHISTORIC TIMES"
IN RAISING ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FROM THE LEVEL OF
AN AMATEUR PURSUIT TO THAT OF
A RECOGNIZED BRANCH OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION,
AND IN SECURING THE PASSAGE OF AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT
FOR THE PRESERVATION OF
THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS
STILL EXTANT IN
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
VOL. I.
410869
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PREFACE.
I TRUST I shall not be exposing myself to a charge of egotism if I
venture to state very briefly the origin and purpose of my work. I
Brought up from childhood in my dearly loved county of |
Cornwall, where — and nowhere more so— the love of the natale \
solum is the predominant inspiration of life, surrounded on all
sides, as soon as my rambles took me beyond the range of cultiva-
tion, by the monuments of a prehistoric past, many of which lay
on my father's estate, and prompted to interest myself specially
in them by the fact that I had before me, not only the example,
but the actual MS. collections of my great-great-grandfather. Dr.
Borlase, whose book, the " Antiquities of Cornwall," is a classic
amongst works on Archaeology, it was no wonder that the interest
of my life — and, without an interest, of what value would life be 'i
— centred itself on the elucidation of a subject to which I seemed
to be by nature called.
While yet at Oxford I commenced the exploration of the
tumuli and hut-villages in the western portion of my county, and
it was while still at Trinity that a conversation with my kind
iri^nA^ Professor Max MuUer, showed me the necessity of extend-
ing my researches to Ireland, the prehistoric antiquities of which
country are a counterpart of those of Cornwall, and filled me
with a desire so to do. " If," he said to me, " you really intend
to go deeply into the question of Celtic antiquities, it is to Ireland
you must go."
That the tendency of modern research, and the views I have
myself formed, is distinctly to decelticize the monuments of the
dolmen c^^ss matters not; the fact remains that although we
know not, nor ever can know, what the language was which the
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viii Preface.
builders of the earliest dolmens spoke, the absolute identity of
the remains they have left us, and which time has been powerless
to efface, proves them to have been one and the same people, as
far, at all events, as the British Islands are concerned. Not,
therefore, to the ethnology of Ireland alone, but to that of Great
Britain as well, when brought into comparison with the Continent,
I trust that these volumes may be regarded as a contribution.
In 1872 Mr. James Fergusson published his "Rude Stone
Monuments," the most comprehensive work on the subject as yet
produced by an English writer, and owing to his courtesy, I had
many opportunities of discussing with him his views as to their
origin, purpose, and date. Although I cannot endorse the theory
he propounded as to the comparatively modern origin of the
entire series, I feel sure that in certain districts the type, the
mode of construction, and the cultus connected with the dolmens,
survived as late as the days of the Roman Provincials. Mr.
Fergusson was inclined to regard the dolmens as no mere tombs
intended to be closed for ever, but as sacred shrines in which the
spirits of the dead were worshipped, and which were constructed
with a view to being accessible to devotees. In this point I
entirely agree with him, and I feel that the comparisons I venture
to draw between the earliest Greek shrines and a certain type of
dolmen, as well as those between another type and the so-called
" Beds " attributed to Christian saints, would have deeply in-
terested him.
About ten years since, I embraced an opportunity of spending
much time in Ireland, and, summer after summer, ever since, I
have devoted to exploring some particular district. In this
manner I have been able to visit personally, and to make plans
and sketches of, a very considerable number of the monuments
which will be found in the list or survey which forms Part I. of
my work. For the many kindnesses and practical assistance I
have received during the course of these tours I shall ever feel
grateful. I desire especially to mention in this respect Mr.
Denham Franklin, the Hon. Secretary of the Cork Archaeological
Society, Mr. J. W. Doherty, author of "Inishowen, and Tir-
connell," and Lieut-Col. Vigors, M.R.I.A.
During many months spent in the wildest portion of the wild
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Preface. ix
north-west, — the coasts and islands of Donegal, — where my object
was the study of the physical characteristics of the population, I
received much kindness, which I desire to record, from the Rev.
Father MacFadden, from the late Rev. Mr. Carson, from Mr.
John Williams of Bunbeg, from Mr. Neil MacCloon of Killibegs,
and others. Were I, indeed, to set down the names of all those
who have shown me hospitality and willingness to aid me in the
objects of my search from Fair Head to Cape Clear, I should
find I had drawn up a list as long as my index itself.
The year and a half during which I made my head-quarters in
Dublin, for the purpose of copying all the references to archaeology
and ethnology contained in the MS. Letters which O'Donovan and
others sent to the Ordnance Survey Department, the MSS. of Mr.
John Windele, etc., was rendered doubly agreeable by the kindness
and attention I received at the Royal Irish Academy, the library
of which I was permitted to use with all the freedom accorded to
members, and in which elements are to be met with as charming
from a social as they are valuable from an intellectual point of view.
I desire in especial to record my thanks to Sir J. T. Gilbert,
LL.D., F.S.A., the librarian ; to the Rev. Maxwell H. Close, M.A.,
the treasurer; to Mr. Robert Macalister, LL.B., the secretary; to
Mr. G. H. Kinahan, C.E., to Mr. Reddan, and to many more, not
forgetting the genial assistant-librarian, Mr. J. J. MacS weeny,
who was ever ready, at the expense of time and trouble, to
discover for me any particular MS. I might require, as well as
to introduce me to any members of the Academy who, coming up
from the country to Dublin, could afford me information of which
I might stand in need.
The only attempt hitherto made to treat the subject of the
dolmens of Ireland comprehensively was that of Miss Margaret
Stokes, who in 1882 communicated to the Reviie Archdologique a
paper entitled, "Carte montrant la distribution des principaux
dolmens d' Irlande." I am indebted to that most kind and
accomplished lady who, in addition to the above-named brochure,
has done so much towards the illustration of Irish Art and
Architecture, for placing in my hands a portfolio of drawings of
dolmens, some of which, hitherto unpublished, I have etched
and reproduced in my list.
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X Preface.
It gives me particular pleasure to be able to add the name
of Mr. W, F. Wakeman, M.R.I. A., author of " Archaeologia
Hibernica," to the list of those who have contributed to the
illustrations of my work. For sketches of several of the monu-
ments, also unpublished previously, I am proud to own my
obligations to his facile pen. As almost the only living repre-
sentative of the elder school of Irish Archaeology of which George
Petrie was the father, and Sir William Wilde so enthusiastic a
disciple, I should have felt that my work had lacked an essential
element had Mr. Wakeman not participated, as he has done with
that cordiality which charms all who know him, in giving to these
volumes that comparative degree of completeness which I trust
they will be found to possess.
I may add that Mr. Wakeman has made drawings for me of
all the urns, hitherto unpublished, in the Museums of the Royal
Irish Academy, the Royal Dublin Society, and the Grainger
collection now at Belfast. Had space and the limits of cost
permitted, I had intended to have appended these and other
illustrations of Irish prehistoric fictilia to these volumes. This,
however, must be reserved for a future occasion, and for a work —
should I live to complete it — devoted exclusively to Irish art
in the Bronze Age as compared with that of other countries.
I next desire to ask my old friend Dr. William Frazer,
F.R.C.S.I., M.R.I.A., etc. etc., to accept my grateful acknowledg-
ments for the kindly, and, I may add, enthusiastic interest he has
for many years past manifested in the progress of my under-
taking. In especial I thank him for permitting me, with the
most courteously accorded concurrence of Dr. Joseph Anderson,
Keeper of the National Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of
Scotland, of which Dr. Frazer is an Hon. Fellow, to reproduce
some of the most typical examples of the drawings made by Mr.
George Du Noyer, of the sculpturings in the cairns at Loughcrew.
In the part devoted to Ethnology I have also to express obliga-
tions to the published writings of Dr. Frazer.
I have now to offer to my friend Col. Wood-Martin, M.R.I. A.,
for some time the able and indefatigable secretarj' of the Royal
Historical and Archaeological Society of Ireland, and the editor
of their invaluable Journal, the best apology in my power for the
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Preface. xi
very large draft I have made on his goodness in permitting me
to use, in the case of the County of Sligo and a part of Mayo, the
published material he has so carefully collected in illustration of
the prehistoric monuments of those districts, in his work entitled,
" The Rude Stone Monuments of Ireland." Of him it may be
said that he is the only Irish antiquary who, selecting the county
in which he lives, and with every field in which he may be said to
be acquainted, has compiled an exhaustive and richly illustrated
account of all the megalithic monuments it contains, many of which
he has himself explored. In thanking him for the many communi-
cations on the subject which he has sent me, I wish also to record my
acknowledgments to Mr. C, E. Jones, CE.I., the County Surveyor
of Sligo, for the careful plan of a most remarkable monument in the
Deer-Park at Magheraghanrush. In respect to the Carrowmore
group, I have re-edited the description by Petrie, and in that case,
as well as in that of Lough Arrow, have reproduced from the
Ordnance Survey Letters the hitherto unpublished etchings of
that highly accomplished artist.
For my illustrations of the dolmens of Cork and Kerry, many
of which have been destroyed during the last half-century, I am
largely indebted to the MSS. of Mr. John Windele of Cork, as
also for much of the folk-lore relating to those districts. Although
in some cases the drawings are but rough pen-and-ink sketches,
seemingly taken on the spot, and therefore no fair specimens of
Mr. Windele's skill as a draughtsman, I have reproduced them, as
far as I could do so, line for line, since, in cases where the
monument no longer exists, they possess, at all events, a general
value as indicating the type to which each particular one belonged,
and the only representation of it which can ever be attainable.
For notes and drawings of dolmens in Waterford, I have made
much use of papers by Mr. Du Noyer. Similarly for those in
the districts of Fermanagh, Monaghan, and Tyrone, of the various
communications made to learned societies by Mr. Wakeman.
For many notices of those in Donegal I have turned to the lists of
prehistoric antiquities in those counties drawn up by Mr. Kinahan.
For the Counties of Down and Antrim my principal authority is
a paper on the subject of the dolmens of those districts by Mr.
William Gray. The volume of MS. Letters (Ordnance Survey)
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xii Preface.
relating to Dublin has supplied me with much valuable informa-
tion collected by Eugene O'Curry with regard to the pre-
historic remains in that county. For the County of Kilkenny
I express my indebtedness to the papers communicated in the
earliest years of the existence of the Kilkenny Archaeological
Society,* to the Journal of that Society of which he was the
founder, by the late Rev. James Graves, with whom, many years
ago, I had the honour of corresponding on the subject of com-
parisons between the prehistoric remains of Ireland and Cornwall.
I have spoken of the elder school of Irish archaeologists.! I
now turn, both with gratification and with a deep sense of obliga-
tion, to what I may term the younger school — to those, that is to
say, who, treating Archaeology as a definite branch of scientific
research, have applied the principles laid down by Montelius,
Lissauer, Cartailhac, and others to the works of antiquity in their
native land, and are prepared to show that in Ireland, as in
Scandinavia, the Bronze-Age art of the countries bordering on the
Mediterranean had its reflex.
I refer especially to the recent contributions to the Transactions
of the Royal Irish Academy, and the Royal Society of Antiquaries
of Ireland, made by two gentlemen, both of whom have honoured
me by their friendship and hearty unselfish co-operation, — I mean
Mr. George Coffey, B.A., M.R.I.A., and Mr. T. J. Westropp, M.A.,
M.R.I.A. The former of these gentlemen, devoting himself specially
to the decorative art displayed in the sculptures at New Grange,
Loughcrew and elsewhere, has given us with regard to the former
of these monuments by far the most comprehensive, exhaustive,
and well-reasoned treatise which has yet appeared, or, indeed, can
perhaps ever appear on the subject, accompanied by illustrations,
many of which (as also some plans of the Loughcrew remains) he
has kindly allowed me to introduce. To the appearance of the
photographs he has promised of the Loughcrew sculptured stones,
all those interested in the subject will look forward, since, while
the drawings of Mr. Du Noyer, to which I have alluded, and
which I myself use, are valuable in cases where weathering has
* Afterwards the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, and at present
the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.
t What may be termed an "archaic" school was represented by Vallancey, etc., etc.
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Preface. xiii
obliterated any of the ancient marks, the exactness of photo-
graphic reproduction will give to Mr. Coffey's illustrations an
interest and value not otherwise to be obtained. I may mention,
also, that Mr. Coffey informs me in a recent letter that he has
discovered other and hitherto unknown sculptured stones at
Knockmany in the County of Tyrone, a description of which we
shall await with interest
To Mr. T. J. Westropp I am very much indebted for the
assistance he has so cordially rendered me in the case of the
monuments in the County Clare, for all the illustrations of which,
except those from my own pen, I have to thank him, and I may
add that, from an artistic point of view, they are some of the best
the work contains. Mr. Westropp has, however, devoted himself
principally to describing and illustrating the prehistoric stone
fortifications of Clare, and to comparing them with Continental
examples, and especially with those in the Danubian districts.
For myself, I am disposed to think that no branch of archaeological
research is more valuable, or more likely to be prolific of im-
portant results to ethnology than this. The question of early
racial movements from north-west to south-east and vice versd
across the face of central Europe is one to which I frequently refer
towards the close of these volumes. Students of archaeology in
Germany have for some time recognized the value of the camps
as illustrative of the directions such movements have taken, and
Mr. Westropp s careful plans, accompanied by drawings of typical
portions of masonry, not only opens up new ground for research,
but brings his native island into the sphere of comparison, and
thereby may lead to the recognition of ethnic affinities in the far-
distant east which have hitherto been mere matters of conjecture,
unsupported by evidence, and dismissed by critics as wholly
unworthy of credit.
Before leaving the subject of the help so unsparingly ac-
corded me, as will have been seen, by those in Ireland who are my
fellow-workers in these branches of research, I wish to express
to the Rev. Maxwell H. Close, M.A., the treasurer of the
Royal Irish Academy, my thanks for the careful estimates he
has obtained for me of the weights of the covering-stones of
the principal dolmens. I wish also to bear testimony to the
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xiv Preface.
unvarying courtesy shown to me, whenever I have visited the
Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, by my esteemed friend
Major MacEnery.
Passing from Ireland to London, in order to complete the com-
parative portion, or Part II., of my work, I have continuously made
use of the Library of the British Museum — the only place in
Europe, perhaps — where I could rely on finding each and every
work required for a subject so wide in range. The authorities of
which I have made use it is not necessary that I should here
specify, as, either in the text or the footnotes, references are given
to them all. I hope it will be found, as I believe is the case, that
I have not borrowed a single statement for which I do not give my
authority, nor made use of a single quotation which is unacknow-
ledged. In this portion of the work coincidences in structural
detail are pointed out in Britain (Cornwall especially), in the
several countries bordering on the Baltic — Scandinavia, Denmark,
and the North-German Provinces. Examples in the Elbe districts,
in Schleswig and Holstein, on the coast of Holland, in France,
Spain, the Islands of the Mediterranean, North Africa, Palestine,
the Caucasus, and India, also furnish other and sometimes very
striking points of similarity. Illustrations of these will enable
the reader to notice the resemblances at a glance. No archaeo-
logical authority of eminence at home or abroad has been over-
looked in the preparation of this section of the work, the object
of which is to make Archaeology subserve Comparative Ethnology
in tracing the movements of tribes and races in prehistoric times.
Interspersed through Part II. will be found essays, prompted
by some incidental allusion, upon the subjects of " Cannibalism
and Human Sacrifice," the " Iberian Hypothesis," the " Divisions
of the Bronze Age as laid down by Montelius," " The Dolmen
considered as a Shrine, and compared with Heathen Temples and
Early Christian Structures," ** The practices of Inhumation and
Incineration," etc., etc.
In Part III. all scraps of folk-lore, legend, or tradition
attaching to the Irish monuments have been collected, and these,
again, compared with those pertaining to megalithic remains in
other countries. For this section the MS. letters of O' Donovan,
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^""^ o/- „ , ^'^^e ac/ded . -^^^ P'-ofess- r J "'^''^^ '"each
PureJy ^ '^"'^"ts in the . ^^'^'f^'^fs of r T" ^^ ^W// fa^ °"
?''=■•" ^ho^r ;"'°"^ !>«. J„ ?" »'" >J.e r/'^"''"' and
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'PPears in . '°'^- ^n the m, ^^''"^^n One., ^"^ ^ho.
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xvi Preface.
of which can well be ascribed to an earlier date than the second
century a.d. This form of writing I regard as probably Teutonic
in origin, and as bearing to the ruftes of Scandinavia a relation
analogous to that borne by the Irish system of mythology to that
found in the Norse sagas.
For the views expressed in this section I am entirely and
solely responsible ; and, since they are to some extent novel, but
have been arrived at without bias, and after great research, I
desire that, in fairness to myself, they may be judged as a whole
and regarded as simply tentative.
For assistance received at the British Museum, I must first
and foremost tender my thanks to Mr. George Frederick Barwick,
B.A., whose knowledge of Germany and German works has been
of the greatest use to me, and particularly valuable since it has
enabled me to introduce comparisons with German megalithic
remains — some of them more closely similar to Irish examples
than those in any other district in Europe — which had been either
unknown to or ignored by Mr. James Fergusson, and no account
of which has previously appeared in the English language.
To my friend Mrs. Salmon I also beg to be allowed to tender
my thanks, as also to Mr. Pollard, to Mr. Miller, to Mr. Naake, to
Mr. Bain, to Mr. Anderson, and others, for their help in giving me
references and explaining uncertain points and passages in the
many languages through which my subject has carried me. To
my old friend, Mr. Henry Jenner, I am indebted for many a useful
hint, and for relieving me, on occasion, of the desperate monotony
incidental to correcting proof.
And here I would wish to express my appreciation of the
assiduity and attention of the officials of the Library of the British
Museum in general, and in particular of that which I have ex-
perienced in the " Large Room," from Messrs. Adlam and Eddon,
who, by their readiness to oblige, never allow a reader, however
many works he may require, to feel that he is giving trouble.
With regard to the very numerous illustrations in the work, I
accord my best thanks to Mrs. Furnivall for a large proportion of
the etchings, and for the two coloured plates with which her
skill has enriched it. In the case of the former, they are mostly
copies of prints, drawings, and photographs, re-drawn for production
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Preface. xvii
by the zincographic process. Those for which I have to thank
her may mostly be identified by a small af in the corner of each.
For the reproduction of these and of the other illustrations, I
wish to express my satisfaction with and appreciation of the work
of Mr. James Hyatt, of the Studio, 47, Great Russell Street, W.C.
In finding the necessary volumes in the British Museum from
which plates have been copied, he has been assisted by Mr. E. J.
Byard.
In conclusion, I offer beforehand my apologies for the short-
comings of my work, of the existence of which no one can be
more sensible than myself. The comparative scheme which I
have followed out has necessitated here and there short repetitions j
of detail ; while, despite the utmost care, where so many proper
names and unusual terms occur, some there must needs be,
which, when discovered, must plead their authors cause for
pardon. |
WILLIAM COPELAND BORLASE. !
i
Library of the British Museum^ i
April ithyiZcfj. \
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N.R — For a few additional notes to pp. 211, 302 (also 299-301), 673-674,
1080, 1 1 30, and 1 156, on the subjects of {a) an urn from Loughry, (b) the
chambered tumulus of Annachochmullin, and the circle at Wattlebridge, (c) the
Cassiterides and the sources of tin in Western-Europe in the Bronze- Age, {d) Magh
Kedni, and the Kyzini, {t) the "Round Tower" at Bolgari, (/) Timina ci vitas,
the reader is referred to the portion of Vol. iii. immediately following the Index.
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CONTENTS.
PART I.
DOLMENS OF IRELAND.
Localities, Descriptive Details, and Authorities.
1. Province of MumUr.
County of Kerry
„ Cork ...
„ Limerick ...
„ Tipperary
„ Waterford ...
„ Clare ...
2. Province of Connaught,
County of Galway
„ „ Mayo...
„ Sligo
„ „ Leitrim
„ „ Roscommon
3. Province of Ulster,
County of Cavan ...
„ „ Tyrone
„ „ Fermanagh
„ „ Donegal ...
„ „ Londonderry ...
„ „ Antrim
„ Down...
,, ,, Monaghan
„ „ Armagh
4. Province of Leinster.
County of Louth
„ „ Longford
„ „ Meath
„ „ Westmeath
„ „ Queen's County
,, „ Dublin
„ „ Carlow
„ „ Kildare
„ „ Kilkenny ...
„ „ Wicklow
„ „ Wexford ...
Numerical summary ...
Examples of stone-circles and pillar-stones
I
8
46
52
56
65
103
no
126
193
196
201
208
218
229
251
258
27Z
291
297
305
312
313
372
374
376
396
401
402
412
416
417
419
\v
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XX
Contents.
PART II.
DOLMENS AND CHAMBERED TUMULT.
Classification, Construction, and Distribution.
PAGE
Definition of a dolmen and of a chamber ... ... ... ... ... ... 4^4
Classifications and distinctions ... ... ... ... ... ... 427
Constructive details ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43*
Estimated weights of covering-stones ... ... ... ... ... ... 433
Mode of construction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 434
Basins and channels in covering-stones ... ... ... ... ... 437
Dolmen-circles and wedge-shaped dolmens ... . . f ... ... ... ... 438
Structural comparisons in the British Isles ... ... ... ... ... 439
Cannibalism and human sacrifice ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 469
Structural comparisons in Scandinavia, Denmark, Schleswig, and Holstein ... ... 477
„ in Germany and the Eastern Baltic coast :—
(«) Riigen 497
W Mecklenburg 499
„ „ „ circles in, etc. ... ... ... ... ... 502
„ ,, (0 The Vistula and Dniester, Galizia, Bulgaria ... ... 508
,, ,, {(f) Livonia, Esthonia ... ... ... ... ... 511
„ „ (d) East and West Prussia, Pomerania ... ... ... 515
,, ,, The amber-routes, and Montelius on the divisions of the Bronze
Age ••• ... ... ... ... ... ... 521
,, ,, (/) Brandenburg ... ... ... ... ... ... 527
,, ,, (^) North- West Germany, Hanover, etc. ... ... ... 537
(//) Holland 552
,, „ in Belgium ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 564
France ... ... ... ... ... ... 566
,, ., Spain and Portugal ... ... ... ... ... 631
,, ,, the Islands of the Western Mediterranean ... ... 698
,, ,, North Africa ... ... ... ... ... ... 713
,, ,, Italy and Greece ... ... ... ... ... 720
„ „ the Crimea and the Caucasus •.• ... ... ... 722
,, ,, Syria, including remarks on the practice of incineration, etc. 726
,, ., India... ... ... ... ... ... ... 750
PART III.
NAMES AND LEGENDS.
Names, Legends, and Superstitions associated with Dolmens and other Megalithic
Remains and Venerated Sites in Ireland.
Classification of names
F^inne and Hiinen
Giants
The word «//^
Heroes, battle-legend, etc.
The word /eacAt ...
Names of women
The SidAe
Animals : —
{a) The Pig
{d) The Cat ...
(r) The Dog
[d) The Cow
(r) The Horse (and Horseman)
(/)TheAss
756
773
784
787
792
824
827
852
855
872
874
883
90s
908
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Contents. xxi
Animals — Continued,
(^) The Goat ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 909
(A) The Serpent... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 909
(/) The Deer ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 909
(>) The Phooca or Pooka ... ... ... ... ... ... 910
Fir Breagach ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 912
PART IV.
ANTHROPOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY.
Prehistoric Man in Ireland*^ ... ... ... ... ... ... 917
The Dolicho-platycephalic type ... ... ... ... ... ... 922
The Dolichocephalic type (No. L) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 945
The Dolichocephalic type (No. II.) ... ... ... ... ... ... 954
The Brachycephalic type ... ... ... ... ... ... 995
YarioQS types ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1019
Suture of the Irish ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1046
Hair colour of the Irish ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1049
ETHNOLOGY AND TRADITION.
The ancient Irish books ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1053
Method to be pursued in order to their right understanding ... ... ... 1055
The Saga of Partholan ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1057
The Saga of Nemed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1077
The Saga of the Fir^Bolg, including the Galeoin, the Fir-Domnann, the Ligmuine, the
Cothra^he, etc. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1095
Fortified sites on the Danube, etc. , compared with those in Ireland ... ... 1 123
The Celtic speech ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1134
The Aitheach-Tuatha rebellion ... ... ... ... ... ... 1136
The Heruli compared with the Fir^Bolg ... ... ... ... ... ... 1142
TheSagaoftheTuathaD^Danann ... ... ... ... ... ... 1158
The Saga of Dathi ... ... ... ... .■ ... ... ... 1169
Conclusion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1177
VOL. I.
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ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOL. I.
The Utters R,I,A. = Royal Irish Academy,
PIG.
" Wilde Ireshe," from a Dutch MS. in the Library of the British Museum
Map of the Province of Munster , . .
1 . Maulnaholtra, eUrmtion and plan
2. "The Boardeen," Coomatloakane
3. Parknagullane
4. Leaba Callighe
5. >, ,, section
6. ,, ,, ground plan
;• M .» ,» 1. wider range
8. Kilmaclenine ...
9. Urn from Cam-Thiema
10. Ballymurisheen, devotion and ground plan
11. Castle-Mary
12. Rostellan
13. Caherbirrane
14. „ ground plan
15. Scrahanard
16. ,, ground plan
17. Scorings on terminal stone at Scrahanard
18. Lackaduv
19. " The Beatick," Macroom ...
20. ,, „ another view ...
21. Keamcorravooly ...
22. ,, another sketch ...
23. „ ground plan
24. Gortafloodig ...
25. Denyvacomeen ...
26. „ ground plan
27. ,, another view
28. Cooladevane, elevation and ground plan
29. Knockane (first dolmen)
30. „ (second dolmen)
3 1 . Lachtneill, elevation and plan
32. Carrigdangan, two views
33. „ a third view ...
34. SYwvt Ovf&dt ground plan
35. Killachlug, j>%?f#iK//ibff
36. CarrigaguUa
37. Kilberrihert
38. Monolith, bullin stone, and plan of grave at Kilberrihert
39. Uaig-an-Sidura, Kilberrihert, ground plan
40. Lackabaun, /ze/<^ z/{>u/j
41. Ahaglashlin
42. „ another view
Frontispiece
Opposite
I
3
4
6
8
9
9
9
12
12
M
15
16
18
18
19
20
20
21
22
22
23
23
24
25
25
26
26
27
28
28
29
30
30
31
32
32
33
34
34
36
37
37
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XXIV
Illustrations.
FIG. •
PACE
43. Ahaglashin, another view
38
44. » groundplan
38
45. GortaguUane
40
46. Ardaragh
40
47. » groundplan
41
48. „ elevation of west-end
41
49. Altar (Toormore bay)
44
50. » groundplan
44
51. „ ^ih/o/iV^ff, with Mizsen Head
45
52. Ballynagallach ...
47
53. Deerpark (Duntryleague)
50
S4. Ballyphilip
57
55. Gaulstown ...
58
56. „ groundplan
58
57. Ballynagceragh
59
58. -„ another view
... 60
59. „ groundplan ...
> 60
60. Y^VkOK^xitTi, ground plan ...
61
61. „ elevation ...
61
62. Ballindud
63
63, Camck-a-Dhirra
64
64. „ groundplan
64
65. Berneens
66
66. „ groufidplan
66
67. Ballyganner South
67
68. „ „ groundplan ...
67
69. Ballykinvaga
69
70. „ groundplan
69
71. Deerpark (Lemeneagh)
70
72. „ „ groundplan
70
73. „ „ elevation of tost end
70
74. Cappaghkennedy
72
75. „ groundplan ...
•■■ 72
76. Tullycommon, ^tf««<///aif
73
74
78. Leanna...
75
79. „ groundplan
75
80. Commons North, ^yv««^ /iii«
76
81. Parknabinnia
77
82. „ groundplan
77
83. BaUycasheen, ^<wm/ /i^if
78
84. Knockalassa (Slieve Callan)
79
85. „ groundplan
79
86. Cloneen
80
87. „ groundplan ...
81
88. Cakcraphuca
82
89. Rylane
83
90. „ groundplan
83
91. Rylane, second dolmen at
84
92. Kno^oge, ground plan
84
93. „ elevation ...
85
94. Ballyphunta
••• ... ... 86
95. groundplan
... 86
96. ,, tuest elevation*..
86
97. „ north elevation
86
86
99. Tyredagh Lower
87
icxD. „ „ groundplan
87
loi. Tyredagh Upper
• • 88
102. „ „ groundplan
88
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Illustrations.
XXV
PIG.
103. Newgrove, TulU
104. „ „ ground plan
105. Milltown
*o6. ,, ground plan
107. Moymore
loS. Rosslara ...
109. „ another view ...
no. „ plan and elevatiott ...
111. Maryfort
112. Dromandora, elevation afid ground plan
113. Ballykelly ...
114. „ groundplan
115. Fonnoylemore, ground plan ...
116. Cloonycorrymore
117. ,, groundplan...
Map of the Province of Connaught
118. Rynvyle (gateway into rath) ...
"9' M groundplan
120. Knockbrack, elevaticfi and ground plan
121. Lavally
122. Drumgaroe ...
123. Aranmore, tTvo ground plans
124. Goribrack ...
125. BaAly^ttss^ ground plan ...
126. Ballina (the Clochogle)
1 27. Slievemore, groundplan and elevation
128. „ another monument at
J 29. Westport, ground plan ...
130. Louisburgh, south of, elevation and ground plan .
131. Creevylieel, groundplan ,,.
132. CaxtTon^ltoikf ground plan
133. „ elevation ...
134. Streedagb, ^^^^//a»
135. Clochcor, ground plan
136. Drumcliff ...
137. Drumkilsellagb, ^/vf/m///<a»
138. « Leacht Con Mic Ruis*' (Magheraghanrush)
139. ., M groundplan
140. , ,, west trilithon at
141. „ ,, east trilithon at ...
142. KJMzspVi^rontt ground plan ,,,
143. Cloverhill, groundplan of chamber
144. „ sculptured stone at ...
145. ,. „ „
146. ,, two sculptured stones at
147. Carrowmore (VL ), elevation
148. ,, ,, groundplan
149. ,, (X.), ^i^fZ'a/siiTfi
150. ,, „ groundplan
151. , , ^y the dolmen^ on large scale . . .
152. ,. „ groundplan
153. „ (No. 13), elevation
154. ,, „ groundplan
155. ,, Urn (restored) from ...
156. ,, (No. 19)
157. , (So. 27), groundplan
158. » (No. 37)
159- M (No. 46)
160. „ Button from
161. Button from Monte Abrahdo (Portugal)
Opposite
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90
91
91
92
93
93
93
94
96
97
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142
146
146
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148
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152
153
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157
161
162
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164
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XXVI
Illustrations,
PIG.
PAGE
162. Listoghill ... ... ... ... ... ... ' ...
166
163. „ groundplan ...
166
164. Urn from Barnasraby
173
165. Tawnatruffaun ...
176
166. Caltragh, thc"Griddle-more-na-Vean"
177
167. Tzmego^2si, elevation and ground plan ...
178
168. GotXskt&x^^, ground plan
180
169. Knockatotaun ...
181
170. Rathscanland, ^^«fi^//<i«
181
171. Urn from Ballysadare
183
172. Carrickglass
184
173' »» another vitio
184
^74- »f groundplan
184
175. Coolmuriy
185
176. Clock-na-lri-posta, Moytirra ...
186
177- »» another viro} ...
186
178. Qmvii)k9.xd^i groufid plan
190
I79« l^ighvroodt ground plan ...
191
180. „ groundplan
191
181. Fenagh
193
182. Churchacres
196
183. Drumanone
197
184. Tumna
>97
*85. „ ground plan
197
186. Scregg
198
187. „ another view
199
188. ,, another view ,..
199
Map of the Prffvince oj Ulster
Opposite 200
189, ^MiitSi{i!^o,\\ ground plan ...
... 201
190- M (So, 2), ground plan
203
191. „ „ elevation
203
192. „ (So, 2)^ ground plan
204
193' •. M elevation
... 205
194* n II another vie-ii'
206
195. Churchtown (Castlederg)
209
196. ,, stone with scorings at
209
197. "Loughry, elevation ...
... 210
198. ,, groundplan ...
211
199- If Urn found at
... 211
2CX>. Broughderg, //eva/lu7ii
212
201. „ groundplan
... 212
202, CBrTyg\siSS, ground plan ...
214
203. Grooved stone from Carryglass
214
204. Knockmany
215
205. ., groundplan
216
206. „ sculptured stone at
216
207. „ another sculptured stone at
216
208. Tawnydarragh ...
218
209. Tumulus at Castle Archdall ...
218
210. Sculpturings at Castle Archdall ...
219
211. „
219
212. „ „
219
213. »
... 220
214. Coolbuck
223
215. „ another virof
223
216. „ ground pian ...
224
217. Clochtogle ...
... 225
218. „ groundplan ...
225
219. Doohat Cairn, groundplan of cairn ami cists
226
220. Glencar Scotch, ^(WW//a«
234
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Illustrations.
XXVll
FIG.
22 1 . Mondooey Upper, ground plan
222. Cairn at Finner...
223. Finner(No. I)
224. „ (No. 2)
225. Kilcloony ...
226. ,, another view ...
227. Cashel, " The Cloghan "
228. ,, ,, ground plan
229* ,1 I, ,y ...
230. Two sculptured stones at ** The Cloghan "
231. Malinmore...
232. Ballywoolen West Bannmouth
233. Cashel, Macosquin ...
234. Glasakeeran
235. ,, ground plan
236. Slaghtmanus
237. Carrick East, ** The Clochoyle," or *• Cove stones *'
238. Glebe, " The Clochoyle "
239. Lemnaghbeg
240. Clenagh
241. Magheraboy (Ballintoy)
242. Bally vennaght, " The Clochanunker "
243- M (No. 2)
244. East Torr
245. Lubitavish ...
246. Doonan
247. " The Cloughogan," Ballygilbert Hill ...
248. Craigs ( i ), * * The Broadstone " ...
249- >» (2)
250. Ticloy...
251. Connor
252. Ballygowan, " Ceannorth*s Wa's "...
253. Craigarogan (Ballycaimgrainy)
254. Ballylumford (Island Magee)
255. ^loyzAzm, ground plan
256. Greengraves, " The Kempe Stone "
257. liallynahatty, ** The Giant's Ring"
258. „ dolmen in " the Giant's Ring "
259. Mount Stewart
260. Legananny
261. ,, another view
262. Goward, •• The Cloughmore "
263. Kilfeaghan
264. Loughinisland ...
265. Loughmoney
266. Wateresk, or Slidderyford
267. „ ,, another view
268. Kilkeel
269. Chambered cairn near Newbliss, ^i9i//idf//aif ...
270. Edergole
27 1 . Lennan, sculpiuriftgs on the dolmen at ...
z'ji. Lennan
273. Camavanaghan
274. Canibane, elevation
^7S' >i ground plan
276. AnnaclochmuUin, </^a/fi9;i
277. ,, urn found at
278. „ ground plan of chamber at
Map of the Provitue of Leinster
279. Proleek, •* The Giant's Load "
Opposite
FACE
235
237
237
23«
239
240
241
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242
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257
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288
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293
294
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297
300
300
302
302
303
305
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xxvin
Illustrations.
FIG.
280. Proleek, another vUw
281. ,, ground plan
282. , , «« the Giant's Grave," ground plan
283. ,, elevation
284. BsXXyialksXtxvLf ground plan ...
285. Killeen, Killing, elevations and ground plans
286. Paddock, "The Hag's Bed," Monasterboice
287. ,, ,, ,, ground plan ...
PACE
307
307
308
309
310
3"
VOL. II.
288.
289.
290.
291.
292.
293.
294.
295.
296.
297.
298.
299.
300.
301.
302.
303.
304.
305-
306.
307.
308.
309-
310.
3"-
312.
313-
314.
315.
316.
317.
318.
319.
320.
321.
322.
323-
324.
325.
326.
327.
328.
329.
330.
331.
332.
333.
334-
335-
Loughcrew, plan of cairns A to L
plan of cairn F
stone in cairn F ...
plan of cairn H ...
stone in cairn H
>> >»
plan of cairn I
stone in cairn I ...
plan of cairn L, and of chamber
recess, with stone basin, etc., in cairn L
stone in cairn L ...
stone in cairn S
plan of cairn T, and group around it
„ „ and chamber, enlarged
cairn T, and the " Hag's Chair " ...
stone in cairn T
stone in cairn U
stone in cairn W
Sculptutcd stone on the peak at Patrickstown ...
Rathkenuy
,, Markings on dolmen at
,, Upper surface of covering-stone at
, , Circles sculptured on dolmen at
Stone urn found at Knowth
New-Grange, elevation and ground plan of tumulus and chamber at
sculptured stone at
3"4
316
317
317
318
320
320
321
322
322
322
323
323
323
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Illustrations.
XXIX
336.
337.
338.
339.
340.
341.
342.
343.
344.
345.
346.
347.
348.
349.
350.
351-
352.
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354.
355-
356.
357.
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374.
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377.
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381.
382.
383.
384.
385.
386.
387.
388.
389.
390.
391.
39'.
393.
394.
395--
New-Grange, sculptured stone at
entrance to chamber at
sculptured stone at . . .
Dowth, plan and section of mound and chambers
,, sculptured stone at ...
,, plans of central cell and chamber ...
Knowth, elevation of the tumulus at
Pici*s House on the Holm of Papa Westra, section
Ushnagb, The Cat Stone at ...
Howth, elevation
„ gtound plan
Chapelizod (Knockmary) ...
,, Urn from
Monument in the suburbs of Dublin
Woodlown (Mount Venus), elevation ..
another view ...
,, ,, ground plan
Ballyedmondnff, elevation
,, ground plan...
,, cross-section
,, long-section ...
Ballybrack (i)
Kiltieman, elevation ...
,, ground plan ...
Brenanstown, ^/rzra/}'^»
,. ,, another view
„ ground plan
Ballybrack (2), ^/<rz'/7//0ii ...
„ ,, another view ...
Carrig-Gollane ...
Haroldstown, elevation
„ „ another view
,, ground plan
Kernanstown (Mount BtoviTkS^t elevation
„ ground plan
Ballynoe ( Aghade)
Colbinstown (Killeen Cormaic)
Ballylowra (i) ...
(2)
* * The Leac-an-Scail ," Kilmogue ...
,, ,, ,, another vietv
>f II II »»
Glencloghlea
Mongnacool, ground plan and section
" The Labba-na-Sigha," Moylisha, ground plan
Bree, looking W. , elevcUion
„ looking N. ,,
If ground plan
Circle at Caugh Hill
„ Caolkil
358
358
359
359
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361
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Illustrations.
FIO.
396.
397.
398.
399.
400.
401.
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407.
408.
409.
410.
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414.
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428.
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439.
440.
441.
442.
443-
444.
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446.
447.
448.
449-
450.
451.
452.
453.
454.
Circle at Knuck-na-Nyrk
„ near Lettergorman
" Dallan-crom-na-thittim ** ...
Circle at Dromiskin
Pillar-stone at Bawnatoumple
"The Long-stone," Furnace
Pillar-stone at Doonfeeny
Giants and Dwarfs building the dolmens of Drenthe (Heading of Part II.)
Brane (Cornwall), plan and section of dolmen in tumulus at
*« Kit's Coity House" (Kent)
Zennor-Quoit (Cornwall ), ground plan ...
Trethevy „
Tregaseal
„ ,, section
Halle (Saxony), x^r/A?// ...
,, ,, ground plan ...
,, ,, inscribed stoius at ...
,, ,, specimens of pottery at ...
Tregiffian (Comvrall ), section
Dolmen mounds in Japan, section and elevations ...
Anta de Pa90 da Vinha (Portugal), plctn showing cup-markings
Gavr- Inis ( Brittany), plan 0/ chambered turnulus at
Kercado ,, plan of dolmen at
Mane Lud „ plan ofdllei couverte at
YrOgof(Wsi\es), plan of dolmen of
Pillar-stone at Temair
Uleybury (England), plan of tumulus and chamber at
West Kennet ,. plan of chambered Long- Barrow at ...
„ ,, plan of from Aubrey ...
,, „ plan of chamber ai
Weyland Smith's Cave (England), ground plan
Maes Howe (Orkney), plan and section
Yarhouse (Scotland ), plan of chambered cairn at
Cairn of Get , , ground plan
Camster , , sectioti of chambered cairti at
„ ,, plan of tumulus at
Achnacree „ section of chambered cairn at
Sculpturings on stone in the Canary Islands
Cover of a cist at Camwath (Scotland )
Annan Street, near Yarrow, sculptured stone from
Cover of a cist at Bakerhill, Ross-shire ...
Ground plan of monument in Sweden
Sketch and plan of the dolmen of Stala, Island of Oroust, Bohuslan
A Swedish dolmen
Herrestrup, in Zeeland
Danish dolmen ...
Hafang, Scania
Carrowmore, cairn at
Danish dolmen
"The Three Brothers of Gnigith " (Cornwall), pla9i showing cups
„ „ „ „ „ section ...
Dolmen of Fasroarup (Scania)
Clynnog Fawr, Carnarvonshire ... >••
Carved ship, Skrobelef, Langeland (Denmark)
Rock sculpturing in Scania ...
Eight slabs from Kivik (Sweden)
Cist of Knyttharr, Dalslande, grotmd plan
PAGB
420
420
421
421
422
422
423
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Illustrations.
XXXI
455. Danish passage-dolmen, ^r^M/2<///a» ...
456. House of a Norwegian Lapp, ground plan ...
457. Swedish passage-dolmen, Ottag&rden, ground plan
458. "Elfsten,"in Halland
459. Dolmen at Axevalla, j«-/i<>M ...
460. Dolmen with passage near Karleby, ground plan
46 1. Dolmen with galleiy, Vestergdtlande ...
462. Karlsgarden, Vestergotlande
463. Entrance to a cist at Rod, Bohuslan
464. Karleby, Vesteigotlande, ^9v«im/ //a»
465. Wedge-shaped tomb at Vimb Negregarden
466. The " Brut Camp " in Schleswig, old engraving of ...
467. Dolmen at Biilcke, in Holstein
468. The "Brut Camp" in Schleswig, another vmv
469. Dohnen in Schleswig Holstein, near Albersdorf
470. „ at Rudenbeck, Mecklenburg
471. The Hunengrab of Katelbogen, ground plan
472. „ ,, elevation
473. ,, o( NaschendoTf, etezuxtion, section^ ami ground ptan ..,
474. Stone-circles at Boitin, ^i^rs'a/xV/f ...
475* ». >• groundplan
476. Circle at Bearhaven, showing a ** pulpit stone *'
477. Dom-ring, Blomsholm, Bohuslan
478. Stone circle at Carrabeha, with markings on one of the stones, ground plan
479. Stone oval in Vestergotlande ...
480. Circles near Odry, near the Schwarzwasser .. .
481. Circle and trilitbon near Odry .. .
482. Group of Danish stone-circles, sketch plans ...
483. Megalithic grave at Kociubinsce, ground plan ...
484. Dolmen on the Sakar Planina in Bulgaria ...
485. Circle on the Sakar Planina in Bulgaria
486. Stone altar on the Sakar Planina in Bulgaria
487. „ on the Sadejerw Lake, thrown by Kallewe Po^, and impressed with
marks
488. Cam with dolmen cist at Varzeit in Samlande, elevation
489. n » n groundplan
490. Elongated monument in Cujavia, groundplan
491. M^^ithic grave in the Gnlberfield of Steinthal (Pomerania), groundplan
492. Dolmen at Richtenberg, Pomerania, Citerior
493. Hiinebed at Besewege, near the Frankfort University
494. „ in the Altmark ...
495* >i atHobisch...
496. Circular Hiinebed, near Ballerstatt ...
497. Hiinebed, near Ballerstatt
498. „ near Ahlum
499. Tumulus in Sweden ...
500. Avenues of stone in Brandenburg ...
501. Dolmen, with wedge-shaped environment, at Edendorf, ground pf an
502. ,, at Dormte (Hanover)
503. Hiinebed at Gansau ( Hanover), ground plan
504. Megalithic monuments at Riestedt, Gross Prezier, Heitbrak, Lehmke, and
(Hanover)
505. Hiinebed of Klein Prezier (Hanover), sketch plan
506. „ at Emmendorf (Hanover), jXY/<r^ //axf
507. „ at Gohlan (Hanover), ^/m//k///(i»
508. HUnebeds at Riestadt, Gross Prezier, and Jastorf
509. •*Stemhau8"nearFallingbostel
510. "The Biilzenbette," near Sievern, section and ground plan
511. *'Saxum Lubbonis '' the Lubbenstein, at Helmstadt
512. Rude plan of dol^^n in Westphalia
his
finger
Gansau
486
487
487
488
488
489
490
491
491
491
492
494
494
495
495
499
499
500
502
503
503
504
504
505
506
506
507
507
509
510
510
511
513
515
515
516
519
527
528
529
529
530
531
532
534
534
538
538
540
541
542
543
544
544
546
547
551
551
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XXXll
Illustrations.
513. Giants and dwarfs building the dolmens of Drenthe
514. White Woman in a dolmen-mound in Drenthe
515. Hiinebed of Tinaarloo (Drenthe)
516. Two sections of a dolmen in its tumulus (Drenthe) . . .
517. Dolmen at Caranda, Department of Aisne (France)
518. (i) Sculptured stone in the dolmen of CoUorgues ; (2-4) sculptures in the caves on the
Maine
519. Stone circles in the Basses Pyr^nte
520. Dolmen at Buzy, near Oloron, Basses Pyr^n^s
521. Plan of allie cauverte in the tumulus of Halliade (Hautes Pyrenees)
522. " Les Pierres fiches" de tumulus des Deux Menhirs ...
523. The dolmen de Puyo-Mayou ...
524. Dolmen in the Gorge de la Vail (Pyr^n^es Orientales)
525. The Balma del Moro (Pyr<5nte Orientales)
526. Dolmen de Vaour (Tarn et Garonne)
527. " The Palet de Roland " at Arles-sur-Tech (Pyrenees Orientales)
528. Man^ Lud (Brittany), section ofalUe couverU at
529. Gavr Inis (Brittany), section 0/ chambered tumulus at
530. Sculptured stones at Gavr Inis
531. „ ., •
532. Vessel from Bohemia
533. Pattern on an urn from Italy ...
534. f> „ Germany ...
535. Sculptured stone from Renougat (Finisterre)
536. Covering-stone of cist at Tr^at (Finisterre)
537« Gold cap, from O'Connor's Preface to Keating ...
538. Terra cotta bottle from Assyria
539. Gold cap from Speyer
540. Ornament from Corinth ...
541. „ Poitiers
542. Gold ornament at Trinity College, Dublin ...
543* H found at Burrisnoe
544. Example of decoration on a golden shield from Jceger&berg
545- Bronze celt (Ireland)...
546* Sculpturings on slabs in dolmens in Finisterre
547. Bronze celt in Mus. R. LA. ...
548. Urn from Danesfort in Mus. R. I. A .
549- .« Bally willan
550- >» 'Sorth Itzlyy two etevati^ns, and p/aft
55 1 . Golden bowl from Schleswig-Holstein ...
552. Urn from Bishop's Cairn, Glenwherry
553- Decorated pottery from La Tourelle (Finisterre)
554. Dolmen of Krukenno at Plouhamel, elevation
555' »> f» »> ground plan
556. "TheTrepied*'onCatioroc
557. Dolmen at Ep6nes ...
558. Patterns (nine) on archaic Greek vases
559- 11 (seven) „
560. Dolmen de la Justice (Oise)
561. „ at Constans-Sainte-Honorine (Seine et Oise)
562. Redmarton (England)
563. Dolmen de Gramont (H^rault)
564. " La Pierre Turquaise " (Seine et Oise)
565. Entrance portico or " antse " of the dolmen Des Maudits, near Mantes
566. Dolmen Des Maudits, x>&«f^A J^r/i>»
567. The " Grotte aux F^es," near Saumur ...
568. The" Grotte d'Esse"
569. The "Grotte aux Fees " at Mettray, near Tours
57a Dolmens in the valleys of the Seine and the Orvin ...
571. Dolmen of the Chapel of the Seven Saints, near Plouaret
PACE
552
553
558
561
571
576
582
583
585
585
585
596
597
598
598
612
613
614
614
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614
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621
621
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623
623
624
625
626
626
626
626
627
627
628
629
629
630
630
631
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Illustrations.
XXXlll
FIG.
572.
573.
574.
575.
576.
577.
578.
579.
580.
581.
58a.
583.
584.
585.
586.
587.
588.
589.
590.
591.
592.
593.
594.
595.
596.
597.
598.
599.
600.
601.
602.
603.
604.
60s.
606.
607.
608.
609.
610.
611.
612.
613.
614.
615.
616.
617.
618.
619.
620.
621.
622.
623.
624.
625.
626.
627.
628.
629.
630.
631.
Area de Padorna, Galicia, plan aitd section
„ %\ViZ&^ Q^icoi^ plan and section
Ground-plan of the Dolmen de Gramont (H^raolt)
,. ,, Leaba Mologa (Co. Cork)
I, ,, Temple at Tecs
" La Pierre Turquaise " (Seine et Oise)
Dolmen in the Vail Gorguina
„ at Villalbo Saserra
„ near Espolla
,, oi^^iXzz^ sketch section
Plan of the chamber of Equilaz
Interior of the Ermita de San Miguel de Arrechiuaga
Megalithic chamber under the church of Santa Cruz de Cangas de Onis
Near Mondofledo, Galicia
Circle of Monte das Fachas ...
Portuguese dolmen
" Lapa dos Mouros,*' Portugal
Anta de Serranheira, Alemtejo
„ Par^d^s, near Evora ...
Small Anta de Pa90 de Vinha
Anta de Pa90 de Vinha
Dolmen de Mont d'Alg^da, with stone basin, ground plan
Pannoyas, sacrificial rock with basins at
Dolmen ^t Fonte Coberta on the Douro
Anta de Candiera ...
La S^pultura de Marcella, Algarve, elevation
y, M „ groundplan
Plan of the chamber of Monte Abrahao
Plan of a megalithic tomb in a tumulus, Serro de Castello, Algarve
Plan and section of a cave at Palmella
Section of a little urn from Palmella ...
Little urn for suspension, from Ireland
„ „ ,, cave at Palmella
Bronze celt from West Bucklandy Devon ...
,, Penvores, Cornwall ...
Ireland...
., Montalegre
,, Alemtejo
South-East Spain ...
Bronze celt found in Yorkshire
,, from Connor, Co. Antrim ...
, , in the Museum of the J^cole de Sor^
,, ,, ,, R.I.A.
Ornamental plaque from Anta d'Estria
Mould for bronze celt from Ballymena
Bronze celt from the Serra Estrella
,, from Oldbury Hill, Hertfordshire ...
„ Danish ...
Urn from a stone cist in the Alps
Bronze plaque from Switzerland ...
Lunula in Mus. R.I.A.
Gold armlet, West Cornwall, in the British Museum
Detail of armlet from West Cornwall
„ lunula from West Cornwall
, , gold armlet from West Cornwall
Gold ring from Penella, Estremadura
Irish halbert-blades in Mus. R. I. A.
Halbert-blade from Slieve Kielta, Co. Wexford, in British Museum
636
636
638
638
639
639
642
643
644
645
647
648
650
655
656
6S7
658
659
660
661
662
662
663
664
665
668
668
669
669
671
672
672
672
673
673
673
674
674
674
674
674
675
67.S
676
676
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677
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677
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678
678
679
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679
679
679
680
680
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XXXIV
Illustrations.
FIG. PAGB
632. Halbert-blade from South-East Spain ... ... ... ... ... ... 681
633. Riveted dagger from South-East Spain ... ... ... ... ... 68 1
634. Flint arrow-heads from Ireland ... ... ... ... ... ... 682
635. Irish halbert-blade in the Museum R. I. A. ... ... ... ... ... 682
636. Flint arrow-head from the Casa de Moura ... ... ... ... ... 683
637. ,, arrow-heads from the dolmens in the C^vennes ... ... ... 683
638. Bronze lance-heads from Denmark ... ... ... ... ... ... 684
639. „ spear-head from the N. of Ireland ... ... ... ... ... 684
640. Iron spear-head from Almedinilla ... ... ... ... ... ... 684
641. Irish nm in the British Museum ... ... ... ... ... ... 685
642. Spanish urn in the British Museum ... ... ... ... ... ... 685
643. Dolmen at Dilar ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 687
644. „ de la CaSiada del Herradero ... ... ... ... ... ... 688
645. ,, „ Cruz del tio CogoUero ... ... ... ... ... 689
646. ,, de las Ascencias ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 690
647. La Portella Rosario, Tarragona ... ... ... ■.■ ... ... 692
648. Section of the dolmen of Antequera, Andalucia ... ... ... ... ... 692
649. Interior of the dolmen of Antequera ... ... ... ... ... 693
650. Ground plan of the dolmen of Antequera ... ... ... ... ... 693
651. Rock sculptures in Galicia ... ... ... ... ... ... 697
652. "The Horseman's Stone" (Clonmacnoise) ... ... ... ... ... 697
65 3. Plan and section of cave at Saint Vincente, Island of Minorca ... ... 698
654. Plan of one cave, and section of another, at Saint Vincente ... ... ... 699
655. The ^* 'Ssuo dels Tvidons,** ground-plan ami section ... ... ... ... 699
656. „ ,, elevation ^. ... ... ... ... ... 700
657. ,, „ „ anothervirtv ... ... ... ... 702
658. Boat-shaped building in Ireland, from Wilkinson ... ... ... ... 702
659. Kilmalkedar, Co. Kerry ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 703
660. View of the interior and of the arrangement for the door in the structure at Gallerus 703
661. Bedawin tomb, KCilat el-Husn ... ... ... ... ... ... 704
662. Elevation of one of the " Tombes des Grants " at Abbasante (Sardinia) . . . 705
663. Plan of one of the " Tombes des G^ante " at Abbasante ... ... ... ... 705
664. •* The Giant's Grave " at Pauli-Latino, Sardinia ... ... ... ... 706
665. N.W. end of " Giant's Grave," near Borore, Sardinia ... ... ... ... 707
666. Monument in Alsace ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 707
667. " The Piedra Formosa " at Briteiros ... ... ... ... ... ... 708
668. Dolmen of Tzarskaya (Caucasus) ... ... ... ... ... ... 70S
669. Tomb of the reputed founder of the church of Boveragh ... ... ... ... 709
670. Elevation, plan, and top of covering-stone of the dolmen de la Vallee de Cauria
(Corsica) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... T\i
VOL. III.
Irish lady on horseback, and two Irishmen in a corach^ from early MS. of Giraldus
Cambrensis' '* Topographia Hibemiae," in the Library of the British Museum.
Frontispiece,
671. African dolmens from Gen. Faidherbe ... ... ... ... ... ... 717
672. Megalithic monument at Karvati (Mycene) in the Morea ... ... ... 721
673. Dolmen in the Crimea ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 722
674. Anta do Crato, Portugal ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 722
675. Dolmen in the Gorge de Djouba, Caucasus ... ... ... ... ... 723
676. „ Valley of Pehada, Caucasus... ... ... ... ... 723
677. M of Dakhovsk, Caucasus ... ... ... ... ... ... 724
678. ,, in Syria ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 727
679. ,, of Ala Safat, Palestine ... ... ... ... ... ... 730
680. ,y 9X.YvsX'ex^V^^3}lAaAy elevation and plan ... ... ... ... 731
681. ., 2XTf^'e:S[i^\i^2Ji^ elevation artd sketch plan ... ... ... ... 731
682. ,, zX. hiviT>MiAT^ south side and west end ... ... ... ... 733
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Illustrations.
XXXV
FIG.
683.
6S4.
685.
686.
687.
688.
689.
690.
691.
692.
693.
694.
695.
696.
697.
698.
699.
700.
701.
702.
703.
704.
705.
706.
707.
708.
709.
710.
711.
712.
713.
714.
715.
716.
717.
718.
719.
720.
721.
722.
723.
724.
725.
726.
727.
728.
729.
730.
731.
732.
733-
734.
735.
736.
737.
738.
739.
740.
741.
742-
Terminal ornaments : Kilmalkedar, Teampulgeal, Tobar-na-Dru ..
Dolmen of Tsll ...
A dolmen with headings, ground plan of
Dolmen at Ard-el-Mahajjeh
• , from Schamacher, hvo views and covering slab ...
„ of El Ekia'a El Mutrakibat
Architecture at Kherbet-H^, Syrie Centrale ...
Window in St. Mac Dara's Church on Cruach Mic Dara
Trinity Church at Glendalongh
Menhirs in the Kora Valley, Siberia
Dolmen-group in the Dekkan ...
Ground plans (three) of Indian dolmens
Dolmens at Raj unkolor
Double dolmen of Coorg...
A dolmen in the Dekkan, ground plan and section
Dolmen in the Province of Madras
Bronze plaques found in Oland
Gold figures of pigs and a bead, from a Scythian tomb
Objects from cavern at Ballynamintra ...
Skull said to be that of St. Mansuy, two views
The Neanderteal skull
Skull from the dolmen of Bougon ...
„ ,, another view ...
Skull from Minsk, /Tc;^ z^f^zcv
'* Old Pomeranian '^ skull, from Krissau, near Dantzig
„ ,, ,, anotlurvinv
Sknll from cist at Muckle-Heog, Shetland, two vietvs
Skull of Balaims genuinus
Frisian skull
,, another inew
Skull from Louth, five views
The Borris skull, two views ...
The Sennen skull
Skull from Ncther-Urquhart, two views
"Old Swedish "skull
Ancient Scandinavian skull, three views
Swedish skull ...
Skull from the Lame grave, /our views
The Engis skull
Skull from Weaverthorpe, tTtw vieias ...
, , Langton Wold, fivo views
♦» »» »» »» •■ • ••• ••*
Examples of crania from the Caverne de T Homme Mort, tioo views
Chamber in cairn of Tyddyn Bleiddyn, Cefn, ground plan
Skull from cave at Perthi-Chwaren, three views
J , the Long-Barrow at Rudstone, two views
»i j» »» j$
, , Long-Lowe Barrow, Staffordshire, /our vie^us
,, West Kennet, Wiltshire
,. Littleton Drew
,, * Rodmarton
„ Uley- Barrow, Gloucestershire ...
Plan of structure at Minning Lowe
"Ancient Hibernian " skull
Skull from Knockmaraidhe, Phoenix Park [the same skull as Fig. 740], /our views
the Blackwater, /7w wVa/j
733
734
734
735
736
736
737
738
739
747
750
751
752
753
754
755
856
872
919
922
924
926
927
929
930
931
933
933
934
934
935
940
943
944
945
945
946
946
949
951
952
953
954
957
957
958
968
969
970
971
971
972
972
973
973
974
974
976
976
979
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XXXVl
Illustrations.
FIG.
743.
744.
745.
746.
747.
748.
749.
750.
751.
752.
753.
754-
755.
756.
757.
758.
759.
760.
761.
762.
763.
764.
765.
766.
767.
768.
769.
770.
771.
772.
773.
774.
775.
776.
777-
778.
779-
780.
781.
782.
783.
784.
785.
786.
787.
788.
789.
790.
791.
792.
793.
Skull from cairn at Trillick Barr
TilyHole
BsWyn^hzXty, ground plan 0/ circular c^tamber at
Skulls (two) from the chamber at Ballynahatty, four views ...
Skull from Mount Wilson, Mr^^ wVatf
Clones Round Tower, section and ground plan
Skull from Clones Round Tower, ///r^f z'/A&j ...
„ Armoy
The Disentis skull ...
it »> ••• ••• •••
Skull from Altensteig, Schwarzwald, three views
,, Stonehenge, /zw wVwj
,, Borreby, Denmark
,, Plau, Mecklenburg ...
,, Borreby, a«^/^/r z'lht/
»♦ >» >>
„ Ilderton
„ cist at Dunamase
Skull of " Ancient Hibernian" from cist in Phoenix Park, three views
), }, ,, ,1 ..
Skull from Lesmurdie cist, Banffshire, four viezvs
,, ,, ,, ,,
Cist at Lesmurdie, plan and section ...
Skull of Donatus
Skull from Drumbo, Mfiflf v/>:(/f
Portrait of John Philpot Curran, by Sir Thos. Lawrence
Portrait of a Tavastland Finn
Irish, armed with skeans
Portrait of Owen Roe O'Neil
Urn from Knocknacoura, Co. Carlow
Urns from Hungarian cemeteries, two examples
Dundermot Fort, Co. Carlow, ^irvMW/>/iEZ»
The Schlossberg, near Benau-Friedersdorf
Vitrified fort in the Oberlausitz ...
The Radelstein, near Bilin ...
The Hausberg of Stonegg, ground plan ...
,, ,, St. Ullrich, ^7Vf/»^^/dvi
„ „ Geiselberg
Bronze mace in the Museum of the R.I. A.
,, ,, ,,
St Leonard's, Hungary, ^/v»»^//^»f
Inishmurray, Sligo, ^M^^/Ztfii...
The Baiierberge on the Island of Mohne, ground plan ...
" BurgwaUs " on the Silinsee, and the Geserichsee in West Prussia, plans and sections of
The Hune-Schans on the Udeler-Meer, ^<w^//(»i
* ' Ringmur, *' Sodermanland, ground plan ...
Ismanstorpsborgen, in Oland
Lazius's notion of an ''Irish Herulian " ...
Bronze dagger in the Museum of the R.I. A. ...
PAGR
982
982
983
983
984
985
990
992
992
993
995
996
997
999
ICX>I
1002
1003
1004
1005
1006
1007
1007
lOIO
lOIO
lOII
IOI5
IOI6
1025
1035
1043
1045
II24
1 124
1 125
1 126
1 126
II26
1 127
II27
1 128
1 128
II28
1 130
1130
1 130
II3I
1 132
"33
"33
"38
1 178
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n,. London^ & ^^"T^^^lf^C^Q I f*
THE DOLMENS OF IRELAND.
PART I.
LOCALITIES, DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS AND AUTHORITIES.
I. PROVINCE OF MUNSTER.
COUNTY OF KERRY.
In the Barony of Iraghticonnor.
*i. In the Townland and Parish of Kilconly South : the site is
marked, in Ord. Surv. Map No. i, Dermot and Granicis Bed, but
it is indicated by the mark for a lis or a tumulus.f
2. In the Townland of Bally line West, and the Parish of
Aghavallen, on or near lands called Graffa, is a dolmen : it is
marked Gianis Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 6.
In the Barony of Corkaguiney.
I. In the Townland of Caherard, and Parish of Ventry, is a
dolmen called " Leabba an Irweenig " by Windele, and marked
Labbanirweeny in Ord. Surv. Map No. 42. It is on the top of a
mountain three-quarters of a mile N.E. of the village of Cantra,
near Ventry. J
Windele, who visited this dolmen in 1862, describes it as consisting of three
incumbent stones resting on uprights. In the O.S.L. measurements are given as
follows : Length, 15 feet from E. to W. ; width, 3 feet 9 ins. ; ten stones standing
on N. side ; twelve on S. side ; one at E. end ; none at W. end. Of the three
covering-stones, that on the W. measures 8 feet 2 ins. long, 4 feet 6 ins. broad,
t The * prefixed to the numeral indicates that there is some uncertainty as to the precise
nature of the object indicated, the author having been unable to visit it persontdly or to obtain any
description of it, or the monument itself having been removed. He ventures to hope that in such
cases the publication of the localities may stimulate local enquiry.
X Leabba an Irweenig is properly Leaba an fhir Mhuimhuig, ''the Munsterman*s Bed,'' says
Windele.
VOL. I. B
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
and lo inches thick; the middle one is 7 feet 6 ins. long, 5 feet broad, and
4 inches thick; that on the £. is 6 feet 9 ins. long, 5 feet 5 ins. broad, and
1 1 inches thick.
The monument is only 2 feet in height above the level of the ground.
MSS., J. Windele (ia Lib. R.LA.), "Jar Muman," p. 444; O.S.L., Co. Kerry, Jl-,p. 81.
N.B.— The letters O.S.L. stand for the Ordnance Survey Letters in the Lib. of the Roy. Irish
Academy, Dublin.
2. In the Townland of Vicarstown, or Ballinvicar, and Parish
of Dunquin. It is about 60 paces W. of the celebrated cabin
called Tigh Mhoiref (Tivoria). It is marked Grave in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 52.
This dolmen measures 10 feet from E. to W., and 8 feet from N. to S. It
has a stone standing at each end. That at the E. end measures 4 feet 5 ins. high,
I foot broad, and 6 ins. thick ; that at the W. end, i foot 6 ins. high, i foot wide,
and 9 inches thick. The £. one has a cross rudely cut on it near the top, which
the writer of the O.S.L. does not consider to be ancient This monument is
covered with flags placed across it in an horizontal position, and was, at the time
of the Survey, only 2 feet over the level of the ground.
O.S.L., Co. Kerry, ^^, p. 79.
3. In the Townland of Ballyquin, close to Caher Point, in the
Parish of Cloghane, near the outfall of the Owennafeana river,
which rises in a lake N. of Brandon Hill. It is marked Dennot
and Crania's Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 26.
4. In the Townland of Smerwick, and Parish of Dunurlin.
The extreme point of land is called Been Dermot, and upon it is
marked Dermot and Granids Bedm Ord. Surv. Map No. 33.
5. In the Townland of Kilballylahiff, and Parish of Killiney,
is a Dennot and Granids Bed on the W. shore of Lough
Acummeen, — so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 36.
6. 7. In the Townland of Dromavally, and Parish of Ballin-
voher, three cairns in line are marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44.
and on either side of the central one a long grave is indicated —
that to the W. marked Cuchullins Bedy and that to the E.
Cuckillins Grave. The group lies N. of Loughnascaul.
8. In the Townland of Maumnahaltora, which Windele calls
Maulnaholtora, and Parish of Kilgobban, near the spot where the
Emlagh river rises, S. of the road from Dingle to Tralee ; about
two-and-a-half miles S.W. of Camp. It has been called the
t In all cases, except where there is evidently mis-spelling, the author has followed his authorities
in the forms of the Irish names they assign to monuments.
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County of Kerry.
Castle Gregory Cromlech, S.S.W. of which place it lies. It is
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 45.
This monument consists of four uprights, two at either side, one of them fallen,
together with the covering-stone. The latter measures 5 feet by 5 feet. Mr.
Windele's ground-plan shows a terminal stone at each end.f
Suppl. MSS., J. Windele (in Lib. R.I.A.)> p* 42, wiih sketch aad plan. This most, I think,
be the real Leaha Diarmada agus Grainn^^ 2\ miles W. of Camp, near OJier Conree, and near also
the cascade of Glounteen Assig, mentioned by Windele, MSS. ** Jar Muman," p. 106.
Fig. I. — Maulnaholtora. From a rough sketch and plan by J, Windele*
9. In the Townland of Ballyferriter, and Parish of Dunurlin
not indicated in Ord. Surv. Map No. 42. It is on Ballyferriter
Hill.
Mr. Windele calls this monument a cromlech. There is a stone-circle in the
Townland, and close to it a well.
J. Windele, MSS., ** Jar Muman," p. 177, with sketch.
10. In the Townland of Ballymacadoyle, and Parish of Dingle,
a Gianfs Grave is marked within the rampart of the extensive
cliff fortress of Doon, in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 53.
11. In the Townland of Camp, and Parish of Kilgobban,
Professor Rhys mentions an inscribed Cromlech on Caherconree,
a mountain at the W. end of the Slieve-Mish range. Caher-
conree itself is in the Townland of Derrymore-West, and Parish
of Annagh, near the junction of the latter with the Parishes
of Kilgobban and Killgarry lander. Brash (" Ogam Monuments,"
t There are some curious superstitions connected with this dolmen which will be mentioned in
their proper place in the sequel.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
p. 174), mentions the stone with the inscription as lying in a
field in the Townland of Camp, and Parish of Annagh, Ord.
Map No. 37, " to the left as you walk up the glen, less than a
quarter of a mile from Camp Post-office." The glen he calls
Glenfais.
Brash's sketch of the stone, upon which is the ogam inscription, is so wrong that
he cannot have drawn it on the spot, in spite of the fact that he visited it
Professor Rhys writes me that on the lower side the stone had supports, so that
it stnick him as a '^ low cromlech, with one side level with the ground of the tilled
field, which slopes considerably there." This feature Brash missed. Archdeacon
Rowan considered the stone a fallen menhir.
Brash, *' Ogam Monuments," p. 174, and pi. xvi. For menhir and stone graves near, see " Paper
by Archdeacon Rowan, Proc. R.I.A.," vol. viiL p. 102. For Caherconree, see Windele, MSS.,
'* Tar Muman," p. 107. For the ogam, see Prof. Rhys's article in the " Scottish Review," 1890,
vol. xvL p. 39, and the **Joum. Roy. Soc of Antiquaries of Ireland," 5th ser. vol. L 1891,
p. 642, stqq.
Somewhere in the Barony of Corkaguiney is a dolmen called
:^
Fig. 2.—" The Boardeen," CoomaUoukane. From a rough sketch by J, WindeU,
" Leacht an Scail." It is probably one of the above, but which
I know not.
Windele, MSS., "Jar Muman," p. 502, quoting O'Donovan.
Lady Chatterton speaks of a ''pagan altar" on Brandon Hill,
but it may not have been a dolmen, and no monument of the
latter class is placed there by the Surveyors.
" Chatterton's Rambles," p. 168.
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County of Kerry.
In the Barony of Dunkerron South.
1. In the Townland of Coomatloukane, and Parish of Kil-
crohane, near Darrynane, nearly at the point where the old road
from Cahersiveen to Darrynane attains its greatest elevation, and
stretches across towards its downward course into Coomachesta,
is a dolmen called *' Boardeen," and marked Cromlech in the Ord.
Surv. Map No. io6. It is wrongly placed by Mr. Alfred Graves
in the Townland of Loher.
This monument, says Windele, is not in its pristine condition. Each side was
originally formed of two (rows of?) stones, set in parallel Unes, about 4 feet
in height Over them was an incumbent flag, measuring 8 feet 9 ins. long, by
5 feet 9 ins. broad. Mr. Alfred Graves mentions that the covering-stone of this
dolmen exhibits what he considers to be cup-markings. ''The dots," he says,
''are designedly arranged in alignments." The huge block which serves as the
covering-stone spans a chamber excavated in the earth, to which subterraneous
vault a narrow covered gallery, measuring 24 feet long, leads. In the chamber
charcoal and charred bone were found.
Windele, MSS., ''Jar Muman," p. 538, with sketch; Paper by Mr. Alfred Graves, Proc.
R.I. A, vol. ix. (1864-6), p. 180, seqq.
2. Near Sneem, in the Parish of Kilcrohane ; not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. icx), which contains Sneem.
Described by Mr. Alfred Graves as "a laige cromlech," on the covering-stone
of which were cup-shaped hollows.
Proc. R.I.A., vol. ix. (1864-66), p. 180, seqq.
In the Barony of Trughanacmy.
♦i. In the Townland of Annagh, and Parish of Annagh,
*' about a furlong W. of the old church," a monument not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 37.
At the S.E. side of the remams of a caher, or stone-fort, are eight stones, six of
which are laid prostrate, and two are standing upright, and placed as if forming the
head and foot of a grave, at a distance of 10 feet asunder.
O.S.L., Co. Kerry, ;^^f P- 69.
In the Barony of Magunihy.
I. In the Townland of Gortnagane, and Parish of Kilcummin,
marked Cromlech on the Ord. Surv. Map No. 68, near Caher-
crovdarrig, N. of the Paps Mountain.
The circular fort of Caher Crovdearg and a famous Holy Well are near this
dolmen. For an account of these, see —
O.S.L., Co. Kerry, g^, p. 193.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
♦i. In the Ord. Surv. Map No. 75, the name Labbyowen
occurs in the Townland of Foiladuaneinch, and Parish of
Killaha. It is represented as a natural hollow.
In the Barony of Iveragh.
1. In the Island and Parish of Valencia : Not marked in Ord.
Surv. Maps 78, 79, 87, 88, which contain the island.
Mentioned by Mr. Alfred Graves as a large cromlech, on the covering-stone
of which are cup-shaped hollows.
Proc. R.I.A., vol. ix. (1864-66), p. 180, seqq.
2. At Waterville : in the Townland of Ballybrack and Parish
of Dromod : not marked in Ord. Sur. Map No. 98.
Mentioned by Mr. Alfred Graves, in common with those of Loher (/>.
Fig. 3.-- ParknaguUane. From a sketch by J. Windele,
Coomatloukane), Sneem, Valencia, and Cahersiveen, as a large cromlech, on the
covering-stone of which are cup-shaped hollows.
Proc. R.I.A., vol. ix. (1864-66), 180, seqq.
3. At Cahersiveen : in the Parish of Caher : not marked in
Ord. Sur. Map No. 79.
[Windele mentions the existence of several dolmens between
Cahersiveen and Derrynane. Those of Waterville and Coomat-
loukane may be two of those to which he refers, and this one
at Cahersiveen a third.]
Mentioned by Mr. Alfred Graves as possessing the characteristics common to
the above-mentioned monuments at Valencia, etc
Proc, R.I.A., vol. ix. (1864-66), p. 180, seqq.
*i. It is said that there is or was a dolmen on the Great
Skellig on one of the upper plateaux of that island, remote from
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County of Kerry.
the Christian remains. On the Ord. Surv. Map No. 104, the
word Grave occurs in such a position.
In the Barony of Glenarougiit.
1. In the Townland of Reenagoppul, and Parish of Kenmare,
a third of a mile from Kenmare, is a dolmen encircled, not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 93. It is in a field called
Parknagullane.
There is a surrounding circle consisting of fourteen stones, and having a
diameter of 48 feet 8 inches. Each pillar is equidistant from the dolmen or cist in
the centre, at a radius of 21 feet from it This cist is composed of three low
stones, upon which rests a covering-stone measuring 6 feet 8 ins. by 6 feet 3 ins. The
little dolmen is rudely formed, and there were no signs of a cairn when Mr. Windele
saw it
A little stream called Finiha runs at the bottom of the field to the W. of the
circle. To the E. of the circle is a curious but purely natural arrangement of rock,
a mass of red sandstone (erratic) resting in a slopmg position on a point or boss
of limestone.
J. Windele, MSS., *'Jar. Muman,*' p. 313, with sketch.
2. In the Townland of Lohart, or Lohert, and Parish of
Tuosist, near the coast, W, of the Owenagurteen river ; not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. loi.
This monument is described as a circle of standing stones with a small
cromlech in the centre. The circle measures 35 feet 6 ins. in diameter, and is
composed of twelve standing stones, each stone measuring from 4 feet to 5 feet
10 ins. high, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet thick. The cromlech in the centre of this
circle extends E. and W., and inclines considerably to the E. The top flag is
supported by three small stones, not more than 3 feet in height. It measures 6 feet
from E. to W., 5 feet from N. to S., and i foot 3 ins. thick.
O.S.L., Co. Kerry, ^^ , p. 176.
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8
The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF CORK.
In the Barony of Clondons and Clangibbon.
f. In the Townland of Labbamologa (Middle), S. of Labba-
mologa church and graveyard, in the Parish of Templemologa, a
double row of Standing Stones is marked on Ord. Surv. Map No.
lo. It has all the appearance of a Giant's Grave.
From Windele's account it appears that the name "Leabba Molaga" was
applied' indiscriminately to these stones and to a little building, a plan of which
will be given subsequently, within the enclosure of a cemetery near by, and inside
which is a flagstone said to cover the '' Bed of the Saint." Of the upright stones
Fig. 4.— **Lcaba Callighe." From a drawing by G. IVilkinson,
which are in a field called Park-a-Uagawn^ under the Galtee Mountains, Windele
remembered to have seen five standing, although only four were left in 1852. The
peasantry said there were eight The " grave " was oblong, measuring 24 feet by
7 feet
MS. J. Windele, "Cork W. and N.E.," p. 79.
2. In the Townland of Labbacallee, and Parish of Litter, a
mile and a half S.E. of Glanworth, on the old road to Fermoy :
called Leaba CailHghe: marked Labbacallee in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 27.
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County of Cork.
This is, without exception, the most noted dohnen of extended form in Ireland.
It has been frequently noticed, described, and figured It is now so overgrown that
the drawings made of it, when it was uncovered by v^etation, are valuable, and,
indeed, the only representations obtainable. I myself found it difficult to measure,
and impossible to sketch.
Accordmg to the description given in his MSS. by Mr. John Windele, of Cork,
it k formed of limestones, and "stands within a small circle, distant about i6 feet
from the sides." It possesses an external as well as an internal range of stones on
edge, the internal range forming the supporters of the covering-stones of the
Fig. 5.
of-T^ID!. ^-r- ^^ AZZ^r—, — ^r^f — r— »
■} on^rnr:..
Fig. 6.
Figs. 5, 6, 7.— Section of the N. side of, and two
ground-plans of the Leaba Callighe, the smaller plan
showing what remains of the outer enclosure. By the
Author.
structure. '' The external pillar-stones at the S. side are seven in number. They
average about 4 feet high and 4 feet broad. The stones forming the internal range
are about the same height, but less broad and fewer in number. At the N. side the
external pillars are also seven in number. They vary in size from a height of 7 feet,
and a breadth of 5 feet, to a height of i foot 6 ins., and a breadth of 2 feet. The
supporters inside this range are fewer than those in the outer one, and average
4 feet in height The incumbent stones are of unequal size, the largest measuring
16 feet long by 8 feet 6 ins. broad. This stone inclines slightly to the E., and is
supported at its W. end by two stones, one resting on the other at a height of 6 feet
from the ground. In thickness it varies, but averages 3 feet. At its £. end is a
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
second incumbent stone, measuring 6 feet long by ii feet broad. The united
length of the two incumbents is 22 feet."
" A little distance from the W. end of the chamber is a large flag partly buried
in the ground, and which inclines from W. to K It is 3 feet high, 8 feet broad,
and 2 feet thick. A little to the W. of this, adjoining the road, and forming a
continuation of the seven pillar-stones, is another large upright with a deep natural
incision in its side.'' Such is Windele's account
Mr. Brash describes the monument as *' an elongated cromlech.'' In Cough's
^^ Camden," the length is given as 40 feet, and the breadth as 14 feet The large
roofing-stone measures, it is stated, 17 feet long, 9 feet broad, and 3 feet thick;
the next in size is 11 feet long by 7 feet broad. Besides these, a thu*d and a fourth
roofing-stone are mentioned, the one measuring 7 feet by 7 feet ; the other lying at
the W. end. The supporting-stones are stated to be 6 feet high, the whole being
enclosed in a circle of erect flag-stones 14 feet from the centre.
I have given these previous measurements on account of the difficulty I
experienced in taking my own, which, however, as far as they go, I can answer for
as correct. They were taken on August 2nd, 1895.
Height.
Breadth.
Thickness.
ft.
ins.
tt.
ms.
ft. ins.
A
...
3
10
6
4
I
B
...
4
3
I 8
C
•••
2
4
I
D
...
3
6
4
7
I 5
E
...
2
8
3
6
F
...
I
6
4
G
...
I
6
4
H
...
3
4
2
I 6
I
...
3
10
2
8
1
•••
3
2
8
I
L
...
2
I
10
M
...
I
6
2
8
N
...
I
8
2
2
3
P
...
I 8
Leu
e-
Breadth.
Thickness.
ft.
ft.
ins.
ft. ins.
Uppei
■ face
Q
Undei
6
face
9
3
S '
*•
4
10
ID
k .
.. 6
10
s .
••
7
10
2
Height.
Breadth.
Thickness.
ft.
ins.
ft.
ins.
ft. ins.
T .
.. 4
4
4
I 6
U .
.. I
II
3
8
7
a ,
.. 6
5
10
b .
.. 5
6
3
10
10
€ ,
.• 5
5
d .
.. 4
2
4
10
7
e .
.. 4
7
4
6
/ .
.. 4
6
4
2
9
S •
.. 4
4
6
h .
.• 3
3
3
Supporting q^ on which rests the roofing-stone.
Remark the curious gap in this stone about i foot
wide.
This thin stone forms at present the back of a little
recess opposite that between B and D.
The length and breadth of this stone are uncertain,
as it is buried in the ground, but I think it has
fallen from the tops of H and T, where it had been
inserted between the upper edges of the wallmg-
stones and the cap-stone, like R and q.
Diminishing in thickness towards £. end.
Length unobtainable, buried in bank.
This stone is probablv much higher, as it is built
into the hedge. It has a cleft m it.
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County of Cork. ii
Height. Breadth. 'Iliickness.
ft. ins. ft. ins. ft. ins.
/ ... 6 o
k ... 40 \
I ... 40 f So imbedded are^ to ^ in a bank that it is impossible
m .,. 50 I to measore their height or thickness.
n ... 60 \
^ ... 40 /
I should judge that the entiie length of the monument from out to out was not
less than 42 feet It lies nearly due £• and W. It terminates in a point exactly
in the form of the bow of a boat overturned. On the side remote from the road
the stones of the outer ring form the fence of a grass field. How the monument
terminated at the other end is not quite clear, as it is embedded in a bank enclosed
in a modem field stone-hedge. This portion, as well as the whole of the side next
the road, probably underwent alteration when the hedge was built, which adjoins
the road, and in which the tall stone (T) stands. The stone marked V is the first
of a line of three thin slabs on edge, running to a point at which they are met by
another and curved line of twenty-one stones, and which, although now it terminates
in the hedge adjoining the road, probably formed part of the outer circle noticed
by Mr. Windele. The entire area in which the structure now stands appears to
have been banked up since the drawings given by Charles Smith, in his '^ History
of Cork," and by Wilkinson, in his '' Practical Geology," were made, and has been
planted with trees.
The width of the interior of the chamber is about 6 feet in the centre. Its
height at present at the broader end is about 5 feet, but, were the loose stones,
with which the floor is covered, removed, it might be a foot higher. It rapidly
diminishes in height towards the lower end, and, I suspect, in width also. The
third cap-stone, mentioned in Gough's " Camden," may lie under the dibris at the
lower end. The other great stone, mentioned by Windele, is buried in the bank
at the S.W. comer of the present enclosed area, as shown in my smaller plan. X
feel much curiosity to know whether the boat-shape termination at the lower end
was the really ancient form of the structure. The ground plan of the lines of stones
approaching that end from the S.E. may, if really ancient, be compared with those
forming the entrance to the chamber in the Long Barrow at Plis Newydd in
Anglesey.
MS. " Topography of Desmond," by J. Windele, in Lib. R.I.A., p. 17 ; " History of Cork,"
by Charles Smith, p. 416, and plate ; " Practical Geology and Ancient Arclutecture of Ireland,"
by G. Wilkinson, p. 50^ and plate v. ; ** The Ogam Monuments," by R. Brash, p. 92 ; " Camden's
~ ' Gough, vol. iii., p. 506. Ther
^ Petrie Collection," Lib. R.I.A.
Britannia," edit. Gough, vol. iii., p. 506. There are also drawings of the monument in the
In THE Barony of Fermoy.
I. In the Townland of Moneen, and Parish of Glanworth,
about a mile and a half W. of the Labbacallee : marked Druid's
Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 27 (6-inch scale), and Cromlech in
No. 27 ( I -inch scale).
In the Barony of Orrery and Kilmore.
I. In the Townland of Kilmaclenine, and Parish of Kilmacle-
nine, 5 miles N.E. of Mallow, marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 24
Aculhoge. The mound is called the Cuthoge by Mr. Olden.
This is a fine example of a dolmen of the large cist type, enclosed in a mound.
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12
The Dolmens of Ireland.
It is stated that when opened it was found to contain a skeleton, a sword, and
some beads.
Rev. Thos. Olden, Proc. R.I. A., 2nd series, vol. ii. (1879-1888), p. 119.
Fig. 8.— Kilmaclenine. Fr(mt a photograph.
In the Barony of Barrymore.
I. In the Townland of Knockanna Corrin, and Parish of Rath-
cormack, at the E. end of the Nagles mountains in Ord. Surv.
Fig. 9.— Urn from Cam-Thierna. From a drawing on stone by J, IVindeU.
Map No. 44, although not marked by name in the map, is
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County of Cork. 13
the dolmen-cairn called Carn Thierna. In Lewis's ** Top. Diet."
{s.v. Castlelyons) it is stated to be on the borders of the Parishes
of Castlelyons, Fermoy, and Rathcormack, the point of junction
of which is in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35, N. of Knockann Corran.
The same authority {s.v. Rathcormack) indicates the exact site as
follows: "The eastern extremity of Nagle's mountains, about
three miles north of Rathcormack, is very lofty, and appears as
if it had been cut down vertically from the summit to the base ;
on its highest point is a large conical pile of stone called Carn
Thierna, The LorcTs Caim.^^ " It was used," adds Smith, " for
the purpose of elections and assemblies." Windele mentions
"four tumuli all seated on the highest points" of this range
of hills. Cam (i.e. Corran) Thierna is, he says, on the E.
extremity. The first and westernmost cairn of the series is
on Maolan mountain, "the Mole of Spencer who resided at
Renny, just at the foot of it." The second is at Cam Q Corran
in the Parish of Monanimy in Ord. Surv. Map No. 34). To
the N.E. of this, which, counting Carn Thierna as the third,
is the centre one of the three, in the Townland of Ballydague,
Parish of Kilcummer, and Barony of Fermoy, is the fourth and
last cairn called, like the others, a leackt by Windele, and named
Sighean-na-mna-finne. It is marked Seethaunamnafinna in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 34. The cist found in Carn Thierna seems to
have been of such dimensions as to justify its classification as a
dolmen in a cairn.
The editor of Lewis's "Topographical Dictionary" {s.v, Castle-Lyons), says: —
" On the summit of the mountain Corran Thierna, or Cam-hill, were discovered,
after removing an immense heap of stones and a large flag-stone, two antique
urns, containing ashes. One was broken by the workmen, to ascertain whether it
contained money ; the other is in the possession of the Rev. J. B. Ryder, and is
nearly globular, neatly marked, and has apparently been baked."
Windele, in his MSS., says : — '* In 1832, after the removal of several hundred
tons of stone, constituting one of the cairns on the summit of this mountain, a
chamber was discovered, formed of rude flags. In this was found the fragment
of an urn. In an adjoining chamber another urn was found containing a small
quantity of ashes, on April 6th, 1837. Abraham Abell showed me this urn, of
which I (J. Windele) took a drawing. The following was the measurement : —
Height 5^ inches ; diameter at top 5I inches ; breadth at base 3 inches ; thickness
i\ths of an inch. It was of a pale reddish colour, of unbaked [?] clay, and rudely
carved with lozenges, &c. It had a conical sort of cap." Mr. Windele sub-
sequently made an engraving of this on stone, a copy of which is amongst his MSS.
Chas. Smith, "Hist, of Cork," vol. i. p. i66; MS. "Topography of Desmond," by John
Windele, in Lib. R.I. A., p. 90 ; MS. "Windele's Miscellany,'^ in Lib. R.I.A., p. 224; Lewis's
" Topog. Diet. Ireland," s.v. Rathcormack and Castle- Lyons.
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14 The Dolmens of Ireland.
2. In the Townland of Ballybortagh, and Parish of Dun-
bulloge, in the locality named Bealamhim : marked Cromlech in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 52.
Brash states that at Knockboy, which is an adjacent Townland, a monument
had been destroyed called by the tenant " The Druid's Altar." I doubt if this was
a dolmen.
See Brash, "Ogam Monuments/' p. 136.
3. In a Townland called Riefield (Ryefield) Windele places
a dolmen. There is a Townland of this name in this Barony
in the Parish of Whitechurch. A place called Clochfadda {Long-
stone) is marked there in Ord. Surv. Map No. 52 ; but no dolmen.
There is another Ryefield in the Parish of Moviddy, in the Barony
of Muskerry East, in Map No. 84, but no dolmen marked there.
Windele gives a sketch of this dolmen, which shows that it had fallen.
MS. "Cork, West and North-East," J. Windele, in Lib. R.I.A., p. 434.
In the Barony of Imokilly.
*i. In the Townland of Kilamucky (Killamucky) and Parish
of Mogeely, a mile or so N. of Castlemartyr, there was, until the
year 1844, the year before the Ord. Surv. Map (No. 77) was
made, a megalithic monument, supposed to have been a dolmen.f
**A large megalithic monument, destroyed in 1844,'' says Col. Wood- Martin,
quoting Mr. W. Hackett.
" Rude Stone Monuments of Ireland," by Col. Wood-Martin, pp. 231-2.
2, 3. In the Townland of Ballymurisheen East [a name which
1 do not find in the Ord. Surv.
Maps in this locality], about
2 miles from Castlemartyr, Win-
dele mentions a dolmen, and
three fields W. of it another " in
the centre of a field next the
road on the N. side," and "in
^^ view of it."
Fig. 10.— Ballymurisheen. From a rough r«i_ 1- . r xl r l- u w j 1
sketch and plan by J. WindeU. The first of these, of which Wmdele
gives a sketch, was " a large cist in the
centre of a ruined tumulus, which latter measured 100 paces in circumference at
its base. It (the tumulus) was composed of small limestones, 9 or 10 inches in
size, making a cairn about and upon the cist, the whole being covered with
earth. The cist iteelf was only partially uncovered on the S.W. side. In shape it
was oblong, and was formed of five stones, of which the covering-stone measured
10 feet long, by 8 feet broad."
t See the portion of this work devoted to legends about megalithic remains, infra.
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County of Cork.
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The second dolmen, three fields to the W. of it, was likewise once covered with
an earthen mound, though when Windele wrote, it was '^ a fine denuded sepulchre
of the cromleac class." It consisted of four upright stones which formed the cist,
and a covering-stone measuring 7 feet 10 ins., by 5 feet 9 ins., by i foot thick.
From information kindly obtained for me by Mr. Franklin of Cork, Hon. Sec.
of the Cork Archaeological Society, I learn that there were four tumuli in all. Two
had been levelled and the ground ploughed over forty years ago. They appear to
have been cairns, but contained no large stone erections. Cartloads of bones were.
Fig. II.— Castle-Mary. From a drawing by CrofUn Croker.
however, dug out of the others, and subsequently examined by Mr. Garde of
YoughaL One of them was called the Druid's Altar by some persons, and said to
be the tomb of a chief by others.
MSS., "Cork Topography," by J. Windele (in Lib. R.I. A.), p. 147.
4. In the Townland of Castlemary, and Parish of Inch,
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 88. It is called "Carrig-a-
cotta," t and various other names.
This monument consists of a block of limestone 16 feet long by 12 feet broad,
and 2 to 3 feet thick. One end rests on a pile of small stones, while the other is
supported by two stones, the one upright, the other horizontal
Judging from drawings made early in this century, it seems that this monument
has been reduced to its present condition within recent years. Upon the
horizontal stone it was said that there were incised markings of this shape A^-
This is a recognized form of markings upon megalithic structures in Brittany. I
examined the stone carefully ; but, while detecting the indentations which doubtless
gave rise to the observation, and which were probably plainer than they are now,
I cannot say that I saw any which I could with certainty pronounce to be artificial
t See the portion of this work devoted to etymology, infra.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
Close to the dolmea were two stones, the one resting on the other.
The dohnen itself consists at present of three uprights, which partially support
a roofing-stone 13 feet long, and 8 feet broad, almost oval in form, raised by the
pillars to a height of 9 feet from the ground.
T. Croften Croker, <* Researches in the South of Ireland,'' p. 254, and plate; MS.
«« Miscellany," J. Windele (in Lib. R.I.A.), p. 358, and two drawings ; MS. " Notes on Dolmens,"
in the collection of Miss M. Stokes; "History of Ireland," by Thomas Moore, voL i., p. 37 ;
\V. C. B. note-book.
5. In the Demesne of Rostellan, Parish of Rostellan ; in the
grounds between Castle-Mary and Cork Harbour ; on the strand,
Fig. 12.— Rostellan. From a sketch by J. Windele.
at a spot "washed by every tide:" not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 88.
This monument having fallen naturally, or having been wilfully thrown down,
was set up again by Dr. Wise. Whatever its original appearance may have
been, the drawing of it by Windele reminds us of Kits Coity House in Kent,
and many similar structures. The covering-stone rests on two side stones, while
a fourth and last stone, not reaching the roof, is placed at one end of the
chamber, the other end being open. The covering-stone measures 5 feet 6 ins., by
5 feet 7 ins., by i foot 6 ins. thick. The heights of the three upright stones were
respectively 5 feet 8 ins. ; 5 feet 4 ins. ; and 4 feet 6 ins.
MSS., "Supplementary," J. Windele (in Lib. R.I.A.), vol. ii. p. 667, and sketch.
In the Barony of Duhallow.
I. In the Townland of Beenalaght, and Parish of Kil-
shannig, is a monument marked in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 50,
Thesure.
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County of Cork.
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Locally this Townland is known as Bweeng-na-Leacht, and on it, says Brash, is
one of those " stone erections *' called " Leaba Diarmuid agus Grainfe."
On this same Townland is an interesting alignment of menhirs. Probably they
are those which Brash places at Bweeng, and Miss Stokes at Kilshannig.
They are six in number, and are ranged in a straight line from K to W. Their
height, breadth, and thickness are, respectively, as follows : —
A = 9 feet X 5 feet X 2 feet.
B = 9 feet X 3 feet 6 ins. X i foot 6 ins.
C = 6 feet X I foot 9 ins. x i foot.
D =s 5 feet 6 ins. x 3 feet x i foot 6 ins.
E = 7 feet X 3 feet x i foot 6 ins.
F = 8 feet 6 ins. X 4 feet 6 ins. x 2 feet.
Brash, "Ogam Monuments," p. 145 ; J. Windele, MS. "Cork Topography," in Lib. R.I.A.,
p. 46, and drawing, p. 47.
In THE Barony of Muskerry West.
*I. In the Townland of Ballydaly, and Parish of Drishane, is
a monument marked on the Ord. Surv. Map No. 47, Lacht-
namna.
2. In the Townland of Tooreenbane, and Parish of Drishane,
is an object marked in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 48, Kerryman's
Table. Windele mentions a "Giant's Grave" on the N. side of
Mushery Mountain, on the left of the old road to Millstreet.
Musheramore is due S. of the Kerryman's Table. It is one of
the W. peaks of the Boogeragh mountains.
Windele speaks of the dolmen on the N. side of Mushery Mountain as "a
Giant's Grave of the oblong form," and of such dimensions as induced him to
call it a "Druidical Court" It measured 30 feet long, and 14 broad, "with
the opening to the S." It consisted of ten stones, nine of which were erect Their
average height was 5 feet It did not appear to him that the S. end was at any
time closed, as there was a natural inclination in that direction.
J. Windele, MS. "Cork Topography," p. 93, where he quotes the Rev. Matthew Horgan
(1821), as his authority.
3. In the Townland of Labbadermody, and Parish of Clon-
drohid, is a Dennot and Crania's Bed, so marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 58. It is near Cappagh, and N.E. of " Gobnat's Well."
Windele says that a dolmen stood on an elevation of the mountain called
Kippoch to the N.W. of Gobnat's Well It consisted of six stones standing in
three distinct lines. Two of the central stones were about 4 feet in height, and
3 feet in breadth. The others were deeply sunk in the ground, and showed only
about 18 inches above it. The sites of three other stones were visible on the S. side.
J. V/indele, MS. " Cork West and North-East," p. 306, with plan.
4- In the Townland of Coolea, and Parish of Ballyvourney,
on the Sullane River, and on the road from Ballyvourney to
VOL. 1. C
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
Kilgarvan, about 2 J miles S.W. of Bally vourney, is a dolmen
marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 58.
5. At a place not indicated in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 58,
but described as at a distance of 4 or 5 miles from Ballyvourney,
near the coach-road from that place to Killarney, and therefore
in the Parish of Ballyvourney, and close to the boundary of
Kerry, Windele mentions an "altar," by which he means a
dolmen.
J. Windele, MS. "Cork Topography," p. 107.
6. In the Townland of Caherbirrane, and Parish of Clon-
FiG. 13. — Caherbirrane. Eough sketch by the Author,
drohid, on the right of the road from Macroom to Carriganimmy,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 59.
Windele says it was called " Boardeen."
\
^
Q
N y
n.tlD
VJ
r^ ex)<cg'
Fig. 14.— Caherbirrane. Plan by the Author, Scale } of an inch = i foot.
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County of Cork.
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This dolmen lies in marshy ground at the foot of the rising ground on which
are the dolmens of Scrahanard, Lackaduv, and Knockraheen.
The chamber lies E. and W., and broadens from 2 feet 6 ins., the width internally
at the £. end, to 4 feet at the W. end. Three large stones lie outside the
monument at the W. end, and there is a rough line of six stones at the E. end
which perhaps represent what remains of an outer environment, as in the case
of other dolmens in the neighbourhood. The roofing-stone measures 11 feet
long by 7 feet 10 ins. broad, and is 10 ins. thick. The dimensions of the other
stones are as follows : —
Length.
Height.
ft.
ins.
ft. ins.
A = 4
3 6
B = 2
2 I
C=I
I 2
D=i
I
E = 2
I 2
F = 2
2
I 6
G= I
6
I 6
H=l
4
2
iz:
2
I
L = 2
3 10
M = 2
2
N = 3
I 10
Thickness.
ft.
ins.
8 to II
I
10
I
10
I
6
II
6i
7
10
I
10
10 (sloping)
J. Windele, MS. "Cork Topography" (who calls the Townland Cahirbrane), p. 106, with
sketch; W.C.B. Note-book, 1895.
7. In the Townland of Scrahanard (E. of Cahirbirrane), and
Parish of Clondrohid is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
Fig. 15.— Scrahanard. Si^cA by the Author,
No. 59. It bears incised markings on the inner face of the
terminal stone.
This dolmen is on the side of the hill in a field in the lower part of which
is a souterrain and a cairn, and below which, again, is a fine circular fort or lissy
the inner face of the rampart of which is lined with stone. The chamber has the
remains of a tumulus around it, especially evident at the E. end. It lies E. and W.,
and broadens from 2 feet 6 ins. wide internally at the E. end to 3 feet 8 ins. at
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
the W. end. There is at present only one capstone, measuring 8 feet 6 ins.
from N. to S., and 7 feet from E. to W. The dimensions of the other stones are as
follows : —
A = 3
B = 2
Length,
fc in.
O
O
C = 3 10
D = 3 o
E = 6 o
F = 3 5
Height,
ft. ins«
1 10
2 3
Thickness,
ins.
6
6
7
7
II
7
From the position of F I think it may have belonged to an outer line of stones
running paraUel with the N. side of the diamber.
Upon the inner face of £, I was surprised on looking into the chamber to
discover deeply incised scorings, some idea of which (although I had unfortunately
no materials with me for taking a rubbing) may be gained from the accompanying
sketch. They closely resemble those on one of the stones of a circle at Currabeha
A
t
A\
\J
J
/ •
r\ V '^ f|'
Fig. 16.— Scrahanard. P/an by the Author.
Scale ith inch = i foot.
Fig. 17. — Scorings on terminal stone,
Scrahanard.
in the same county, which have been drawn by Mr. Du Noyer. They may be
compared also with the markings on the covering-stone of the dolmen at Rath-
kenny, in the county of Meath, and with those on a rock at Ballyderragh in the
county of Cavan. These at Scrahanard have been previously noticed and figured
in the Journal R.H.A.A.L for 1865. There are, however, many more scorings
than those indicated in the illustration there given.
As if indicative of the fact that this dolmen has still some traditionary sacredness
attached to it, such as may have caused the .scorings to have been made in times
past, there are, I noticed, on the outer or eastern face of this same terminal stone,
little scorings in the shape of crosses which had, in 1895, been quite recently made,
just such as pilgrims still scratch on pieces of slate or on venerated rocks when
visiting holy places at the times appointed for '* Patterns " and " Rounds."
W.C.B. Note-book, 1895.
8. In the Townland of Lackaduv (E. of Scrahanard), and
Parish of Clondrohid, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 59.
This dolmen lies E. and W., and, though in a somewhat ruined condition,
presents a good example of the wedge-shaped cell, cist, or chamber, surrounded
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County of Cork.
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nere-
is f
by its second and outer lines of stones. From the number of loose stones, in
which it is to some extent imbedded, I think that a cairn had been thrown up
around it
At present two stones in a curved line cross the W. end of the chamber, which
originally measured s feet in width, nar-
rowing at the E. end to 2 feet 5 ins.
The capstone measures 10 feet long by
7 feet wide, and is i foot 2 ins. thick. To
the S. of the structure lies a large natural
rock in situ.
The following are the lengths of the
other stones : (Their height it was impos-
sible to take accurately, on account of
the stones piled in and around the
chamber.) A = 4 feet ; B=3 feet ; C = 3
feet ; D = 2 feet 3 ins. ; E = 2 feet ;
F = 2 feet 3 ins. ; G = i foot ; H = 3
feet ; J = 2 feet, and i foot 6 ins. high ;
K = 3 feet 6 ins., and 2 feet 4 ins. high ;
L = 2 feet ; M = I foot 8 ins. ; N = i foot;
P = I foot ; Q = 3 feet ; R = 3 feet, and i foot 8 ins.
T = 2 feet In thickness they vary from i foot to 6 inches.
Fig. 18.— Lackaduv. Plan by the Author,
Scale ith of an inch = i foot .
high; S = 2 feet;
W.C.B. Note-Book, 1895.
9. In the Townland of Knockraheen (N. of Lackaduv), and
Parish of Clondrohid, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 59. This, together with the three previous ones,
may be regarded as forming a group.
ID. In the Townland of Lissacresig, on Lissacresig Hill, in
the Parish of Clondrohid, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 70.
In Smith's "History of Cork" reference is made to this dolmen, which is
described as overturned. Three supporting-stones were left, and one roofing-stone
lay near. There was a "large circular intrenchment of stone" near it
Charles Smith, "Hist, of Cork," vol. L p. 191 ; MS. "Notes," Miss Stokes; also that lady's
" Carte des Dolmens d'lrlande," in *• Revue Arch6ol.," July, 1882.
II. In the Townland of Carrigaphooca, and Parish of Clon-
drohid, on the SuUane River, is a dolmen not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 70 : " It lay to the E. of the high castle of Carick-
afouky, in a wild and romantic situation, overhanging the SuUane."
" The remains of a Druid altar, encompassed with a circle of stones, pitched
endways," near to which is a " large stone placed upon a high rock, secured by
wedges of other stones." This menhir was the Carickafouky,t and not the dolmen.
Chas. Smith, •* Hist, of Cork," vol. i. p. 190.
t See etymologies, infra.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
12. In the Townland of Bealick, and Parish of Macroom,
there is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. Ti.
It is about a mile N.E. of a monument near Newbridge marked
j^^^
Fig. 19.— The " Bealick," Macroom. From a r(nigh sketch by J, Windde,
Leacht Mahon. It lies W. of the river Laney, on the further
side of which is a menhir. The dolmen is called " The Bealick.*'
I was informed in Macroom that there was a cave in this
Fig. 20. — ^The " Bealick," Macroom. From a rough sketch by WindeU,
Townland in which the Danes had been, and in which there
was said to be writing. Windele visited the dolmen, and made
two rough sketches, which are here reproduced.
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County of Cork.
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Windele's drawings show an incumbent stone in place, with several supporters,
and a heap or bank abutting on the monument at one end.
Brash gives the following account of it : '' The Bealick : The supporting-stones
are five, enclosing a rectangular chamber. Two are at either side, and one at que
end. The table-stone measures 8 feet by 7 feet, and from 6 to 18 inches thick.
It slopes at an angle of 30 degrees." There are markings or scorings on this
dolmen.
Smith mentions a monument, about 300 yards W. of Newbridge, in a meadow
near the bank of the river, consisting of three large stones set on end edgeways to
each other, the middle one being 5 feet broad, 7 feet high, and 2 feet thick,
the others much smaller. About 60 yards S.E. from these was another stone
set up, less than the middle one, but larger than the side ones. Tradition said
that they had been set up to commemorate a battle between Brian Boruma and the
O'Mahonies of Carbery, assisted by the Danes. This is the " Leacht Mahon."
Windele, J., MS. " Cork Topography," pp. 3S8 and 494, and " Cork West and North-East,'*
p. 396 ; Brash, Joum. R.H.A.A.I. (1874-5), p. loi ; Miss Stokes, ** Carte des Dolmens," ** Revue
Arch^ol," July, 1882 ; " History of Cork," by Charles Smith, vol. i. p. 186.
13. In the Townland of Keamcorravooly, and Parish of
Fig. 21. — Keamcorravooly. From a rou^k sketch by the Author,
Inchigeelagh, is a dolmen called Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 80. I think this must be the " Gougaun Barra *' dolmen
Fig. 22.— Keamcorravooly. From a rough sketch by Windele.
of Windele. The name is also written "Caom Curra VouUa"
(BhuUa).
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
The dolmen which Windele describes lay, as this one does, E. and W., or more
truly W.N.W. and E.S.E., and had two incumbent stones. He speaks, however, of
three instead of four lines of pillar-stones ; but his " three pillars " at one end,
which probably, he thinks, supported a third incumbent stone, are present in this
one. The stone, which he regarded as the third roofing-stone, lay in the ground in
advance of them. The dimensions he gives of the W. cap-stone, viz. 6 feet 4
ins. X 5 feet 9 ins. x i foot, are somewhat less than they should be, the two
cap-stones, the eastern one of which overlaps the other, measuring respectively
— that on the E., 9 feet 4 ins. long, by 6 feet broad (on an average), and that
on the W., 8 feet long by 8 feet broad.
V
Fig. 23.— Keamcorravooly. Plan by the Author. Scale }th of an inch = i foot.
This dolmen is an excellent example of structures of the wedge-shaped type,
environed by an outer row of stones parallel to the sides. The chamber, as judged by
the length of the N. side, measures 17 feet long, and, when the S.W. side was
in place, must have been 5 feet broad at the W. end, narrowing to i foot 6 ins. at
the E. end. The dimensions of the stones are as follows : —
Length.
Height.
Thickness.
ft.
ins.
ft.
ins.
ft.
ins.
^ = 3
10
3
8
8
2 = 3
3
5
S = 3
I
8
5
D = 3
I
9
4
E = 3
3
4
F = 2
6
Sh
S = 3
2
2
6
Q
6
H = 3
2
2
J = 2
K = 2
10
2
2
L = 2
3
3
4
9
M = I
I
3
I
N = 2
10
2
9
7
pp
Two small stones.
Q = 2
8
I
9
5
R = 3
I
2
4
5 = 3
10
4
6
8
T= I
2
I
U = 3
I
6
7
V = i
6
W=3
I
S
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County of Cork.
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On the upper surface of the longer cap-stone are six little depressions, several of
which appear to me to have been scooped out artificially. One of them is
2i inches wide and i inch deep. Two are larger than this, and might be natural.
The other three are smaller. On the other cap-stone are five more.
Windele, J., MS. "Cork Topography," p. 404 ; W.C.B., Note-book, 1895.
Fig. 24. — Gortafloodig. From a skdch by WintUU,
15. In the Townland of Gortafloodig, and Parish of Inchi-
geelagh, about a mile and a half E. of Gougaun Barra Lake is a
dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 80. Windele calls
it " Thuoma-an- Vinistre."
This monument Windele describes as very similar to the Gougaun Barra one,
by which I think he meant that at Keamcorravoulla. It had two covering-
stones. I did not visit it, being assured that it was like that at Keamcorravoulla,
only smaller and in ruins.
J. Windele, MS. ** Cork Topography," p. 423, and two sketches.
16. In the Townland of Derryvacorneen, and Parish of Inchi-
34i«ate-:.
Fig.- 25. — Derryvacorneen. Sketch by the Author,
geelagh, a mile and a half S. of Bealanageary, ** near the river
towards Corran-a-muck," is a dolmen which Windele calls
"Bordaree." It is not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 80.
Windele describes this monument as " like those at Carrigdangan, Gortafloodig,
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
and Gougaun Barra." " The supporters," he says, " are six in number, and measure
3 feet high. Two are at the S. side ; three at the N. side ; and there is a single
stone at the £. end. The monument lies £. and W., and the incumbent stone
measures 7 feet 6 ins. by 4 feet, and is thin."
G3
C5S:
n
H
C5D
Fig. 26. — Derxyvacoraeen. P/an by the Author.
According to my measurement, the cap-stone measured 7 feet 8 ins. long by 6 feet
wide, and was 7 inches thick. It was broken at the S.E. corner. Upon its surface
Fig. 27. — Derryvacorneen. Rough sketch by IVindele,
were three small hollows, one of them 2 inches in diameter and li inch deep ; the
others were each i inch in diameter and not so deep. The chamber lay E.S.E.
and W.N.W., as at KeamcorravouUa. The internal width at the W. end was 3 feet
8 ins., and at the E. end 3 feet. The length was 8 feet 6 ins.
The dimensions of the stones are as follows : —
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County of Cork.
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Length.
Height,
Thickness
ft.
ins.
ft. ins.
It. ins.
A = 3
2 6
8
B = 3
2 6
II
C = 2
2
10
D = o
2
10
E = 5
4
2 7
5
F = 3
3 8
7
G = I
H = 3
8
I 3
10
J = "
7
(I abroad)
"" I
K = 2
I
8
*I7. In the Townland of Gortnalour, and Parish of Inchi-
geelagh, Windele heard of the existence of a monument which
he seemed to think was a dolmen. In the Ord. Surv. Map No.
81 no dolmen is marked in this Townland, which is about a
mile and a quarter S.E. of Inchigeelagh, and four or five miles
W. of the Knockane group. The Townland is immediately
N. of the hamlet of "Bealock," and of the " Bealick'* at Carrig-
dangan.
J. Windele, US, •* Cork Topography," p. 388.
18. In the Townland of Coolaclevane, and Parish of Kil-
michael, at Carrignagaffrin, near Knockadoon, is a dolmen called
"Leaba-na-Muicce," or "Carrig-na-Gat." Windele places it in
Fig. 28.— Coolaclevane. SJ^uA and plan by Windele,
his notes on Kerry by mistake. It is not marked in the Ord.
Surv. Map No. 82.
^' This monument has a double range of stones surrounding it The outer range
measures 30 feet from out to out; the chamber itself 17 feet by 5 feet 6 ins.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
There are four covering-stones measuring respectively 7 feet by 5 feet ; 8 feet by
3 feet 6 ins. ; 5 feet by 4 feet ; and the fourth, 4 feet 6 ins. in length. There is a
square filled cist or septum between the terminal stone at one end and the stone
of the environment. It measures 4 feet by 3 feet 6 ins.
J. Windele, MS. •* Topography of Kerry," p. 523, with plan and elevation.
19, 20, 21. In the Townland of Knockane, and Parish of Kil-
&^u
I
Fig. 29. — Knockane (first dolmen). Sketch and plan by IVindeU.
michael, "nearly a mile S.E. of Deshure Hill, in a narrow glen or
Fig. 30. — Knockane (second dolmen). Sketch and plan by Windele,
hollow between two ridges of rock, the space between the sides
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County of Cork.
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being about 40 feet, are three dolmens."
the Ord. Surv. Map No. 82.
They are not marked in
This is " an ancient sepulchral site," says Windele. There are three monuments
. in alL Two are in the centre of the hollow, entirely uncovered and denuded of
their mounds, lying parallel to each other at a distance of 14 feet 6 ins. apart A
third lies to the N. of them at a distance of 8 paces, partly covered by a portion
of the tumulus which once enclosed it
From the plan which is subjoined it is plain that one of the two in the centre of
the hollow had stones set on edge against, and at right angles to the side stones of
the chamber. The single incumbent stone which was in place measured 11 feet
6 ins. long by 7 feet broad.
The ground plan of the second monument shows that that structure probably
represented the remains, that is to say one end, of what was once a long monument
like the first
J. Windele, MS. " Cork Topography," pp. 351 and 359, with two elevations and ground plans.
22. In the Townland of Laghtneill, and Parish of Kilmurrey,
on Mossgrove Mountain, S. of Crookstown, is a dolmen marked
NtaWs Grave on Ord. Surv. Map No. 83. It is on the extreme
E. edge of the Barony.
Fig. 31. — Lachtneill. Sketch and plan by Windele.
This Structure consists of double ranges of stones at the sides and ends. Two
large incumbent stones cover about two-thirds of its entire length. All the stones
are so deeply sunk in the ground that little more than a foot appears above the
surface. The monument is about 12 feet long and 5 feet broad, the width of the
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
grave internally being about 3 feet. A large stone, 9 or 10 feet high, set on edge,
stands within a few feet of it on the S. side.
Windele, J., MS. ''Cork Topography," pp. 519-523, with ground plan and elevation;
" History of Cork," by Charles Smith, vol. i. p. 200.
■w"
^^^
Jst
Fig. 32. — Carrigdangan. Two rough sketches by Windele.
23. In the Townland of Carrigdangan, and Parish of Kil-
michael, is a dolmen marked Bealick in Ord. Surv. Map No. 93.
Fig. 33. — Carrigdangan. Another skdch by Windele.
It is also called " Tuoma-na-Vranna/* ** Lackacruacha,** and
" Bordree." It lies over Lough Keel-Hanna, or Johnstown
Lake.
This consists of "several upright stones which support two incumbent ones,
the larger of which measures 8 feet 7 ins. by 6 feet 10 ins. ; the smaller not half
that size." It lies E. and W. The internal length is 13 feet 3 ins., and the breadth
3 feet. There are three supporters on the N. side, and two on the S. There is
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County of Cork. 31
a single one at the E. end, and ''in front outside are two stones in advance."
The smaller of the two roofing-stones is that which is over the £. end.
J. Windelc, MS. " Cork Topography," p. 494, with two drawings representing the N. and W.
sides respectively ; also MS. " Cork West and North-East," p. 511.
•24. In the Townland of Cornery, and Parish of Inchigeelagh,
is a monument marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 93 Laghtargid.
With this name compare that of Moyarghed in Antrim.
25. In the Townland of Clochboola, and Parish of Inchi-
geelagh, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 93-
26, 27. In the Townland of Carrignamuck, close to Lough
Carrignamuck, in the Parish of Inchigeelagh, are two dolmens,
each marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 93.
28. In the Townland of Slieve Owen, "on the N. side of the
heathy summit not far from the highest point of the hill," in the
t.
^
Fig. 34.— Slieve Owen. Plan by Windeie.
Parish of Kilmichael, is a dolmen called ** Liabeg (Labby, Leaba)
Owen." It is not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 94.
This consists of two lines of standing stones, four on either side, with one at
the W. end. The length of the enclosed area is about 20 feet, and the breadth
of the W. end about 3 feet, narrowing to 1 2 inches at the opposite extremity. The
stones are about 3 feet high, with the exception of one which is a foot higher. It
would appear that the ranges of stones on either side had once been double,
but the ones composing the second or outer row are reduced to three or four on
each side.
J. Windele, MS. "Cork West and North-East," p. 522, with plan.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
29. In the Townland of Derryriordane South, and Parish of
Inchigeelagh, about half a mile E. of the summit of Douce
Mountain, is a dolmen marked Boardaree in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 92. This must be the one which Windele mentions as "on
the S. shoulder of Doush."
Windele, J., MS. "Cork West and North-East,'* p. 509.
30. In the Townland of Killachlug, and Parish of Clondrohid,
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 7o.f
The monument at Killachlug consists of an oval space, surrounded by low stones
^iB&aoA. not exceeding 3 feet in height above ground. The
J^ ^fek length is 20 feet Windele caused it to be explored,
and thus describes the result : '^ The men employed
first dug a trench between the dotted lines at ^, 6 feet
deep and 3 feet wide, but foimd nothing. Some iron
matter was occasionally dug up, and black burnt
earth mixed with charcoal, but nothing more. They
then dug, at a, the whole of the enclosed space,
taking up a stone c^ which was about 4 feet long.
After digging to a considerable depth, they came to a
bed of black burnt mould mixed with charcoal at d^
-Killachlug. Plan beneath which was a large stone of which we had much
by Windele, hope, but after turning that up, and going still deeper,
nothing was found." All that was proved was that it had been a place of burning.
Windele, J., MS. " Cork Topography," p. 388, and plan.
Fig. 35.-
Fig. 36.— Carrigagulla. From a sketch by Windele,
31. In the Townland of Carrigagulla, and Parish of Macroom,
+ The Gianes TabU, so marked in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 70, I found to be a natural rock.
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County of Cork. 33
near Glennaloche, 14 miles from Cork, near the top of the
mountain called Carrigully, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 49 ; called " Lackathuoma."
When Windele described and sketched this monument, some of the supports
had given way ; but it consisted of two large covering-stones resting on a number
of other stones, about 3 feet high, standing in oblong form. A portion of a
mound abutted on the structure on one side. A plan of it by the Rev. Matthew
Horgan shows a very perfect oval composed of twelve stones not placed con-
tiguously, surrounding a dolmen with three covering-stones, and a closing stone at
one end. Windele considered this plan, however, as incorrect, although Mr.
Horgan lived close to the spot Sixty perches distant from this dolmen was a
stone circle at Browra.
Windele, J., MS. "Cork Topography," p. 66, with drawing by Windele, and plan by
Horgan.
In the Barony of East Muskerry.
I. In the Townland of Kilberrihert, and Parish of Agha-
Fig. 37.— Kilberrihert. From a sketch by WindeU,
buUoge, is a dolmen at Lackparknalicka, marked Cromlech in the
Ord. Surv. Map No. 60. This is the one which Windele states
to be a quarter of a mile S. of Cahirbarool, and near Byrring
Mountain.
This consists of three incumbent stones of unequal sizes lying in a direction
E. and W., with an inclination to the W., the largest stone being at the W. end,
and the smallest at the E. end. The western stone measures 9 feet 6 ins. from
N. to S., by 7 feet from E. to W. It is i foot thick, and is supported on the S.
by two uprights, each 2 feet high by i foot 6 ins. broad, which have yielded to
its weight. Two other stones within these support it in the middle. At the N. side
its support is one large stone 2 feet high and 6 feet long. The middle incumbent,
as well as the eastern one, rests on low uprights, one of which measures 7 feet
across. The external height of the monument is from 4 to 5 feet The form of the
VOL. I. D
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34
The Dolmens of Ireland.
structure is oblong, the space between the uprights and the incumbent stones forming
a low cave.
Windele, J., MS. "Cork Topography," p. 89, with sketch.
This district contains a group of interesting and curious monuments, some of
which appear to be transitional between the pagan
dolmen and the Christian sepulchral monument.
At Cahirbarool, a quarter of a mile N. of this
dolmen, is a pillar-stone with an encircled cross
of most primitive form. At its base is a stone
with two bullans {i,e. artificial hollows or basins),
evidently to hold the knees of worshippers. Near
it is a grave of dolmen-like construction.
Windelc, J., MS. "Cork Topography," p. 89.
2. In the Townland of Kilberrihert,
on the hill of that name, and in the Parish
of AghabuUoge, is a dolmen called Uaig
an Sidura, i.e. the Soldiers' Grave, not
marked on the Ord. Surv. Map No. 60.
This consists of an external range of stones
forming a rounded oblong. Only a few of the
uprights remained, however, when Windele made
IT, ^o VM,. ... ^ . his plan of it. At one end is a structure consist-
FiG. 38.— Kilbernhert. From a skeUh - r • u ^ . ..• r
' and plan by WindiU. "^^ ®^ ^^ mcumbent stone restmg on four sup-
porters, which seem to have given way. This
covering-stone measures 7 feet 6 ins. long by 5 feet broad. The uprights are
about 5 feet high, so that, when perfect, it was a small dolmen, the longer axis
%s^^'
1-Jll
Fig. 39. — Uaig an Sidura, Kilberrihert Plan by Windeli,
of the chamber of which lay E. and W. Some stones at the W. end of the
enclosure formed a smaller enclosure or septum, which Windele terms "a sort
of sacellum or small court." The terminal stone of this measures 3 feet 7 ins.
broad, and is 4 inches thick.
Windele, J., MS. •*Cork Topography," p. 88, and plan.
3. In the Townland of Knockglass, and Parish of AghabuUoge,
is a monument marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 60.
4. In the Townland of Rylane, and Parish of AghabuUoge,
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County of Cork. 35
about a mile and a half N. of Olan s Well, is a monument marked
Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 6r.
5, 6. In the Townland of Knockavullig, and Parish of Canna-
way, are two monuments, each marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv.
Map No. 71.
7. In the Townland of Bawnatemple, and Parish of Cannaway,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 71. It
lies N.E. of that at Knockavullig.
8. In the Townland of Shandangan, and Parish of Cannaway,
is a monument marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No, 71.
It lies S. of that at Bawnatemple.
9. In the Townland of Rosnascalp, and Parish of Aghinagh,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 71.
*io. In the Townland of Bellmount Upper, and Parish of
Moviddy, N.E., of the Laghtneill, is a monument marked
Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 83. This appears on the
map to be encircled.
In the Barony of Barretts.
I. In the Townland of Pluckanes, and Parish of Donaghmore,
is a monument marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 51.
*2. In the Townland of Garraun North, and Parish of Donagh-
more, is a monument marked Cromlech on Ord. Surv. Map
No. 51. It lies S. of that at Pluckanes.
3. In the Townland of Lyradane, and Parish of Grenagh, is a
monument marked Cromlech on Ord. Surv. Map No, 51. It lies
N.N.E. of that at Pluckanes, and S.W. of a stone-circle.
In the Townland of Grenagh is a circle marked Cromlech in
this same map.
In the Barony of Carberry East.
1. In the Townland of Clogher, and Parish of Inchigeelagh,
is a dolmen marked Labbadermot in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 93.
It lies W.S.W. of the Bealick at Carrigdangan.
2. In the Townland of Lackabaun, and Parish of Inchi-
geelagh, is a monument of some sort, marked Mearogafin on the
Ord. Surv. Map No. 93. It lies to the W. of that at Cloghen
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
I think this must be the dolmen Windele mentions as being on
Leacabawn, in Ireleary, " on the mountain ridge which divides
Glenachreen from Ireleary/'
From the two sketches which Windele gives of this monument, it appears to
Fig. 40. — Lackabaun. Trev rough sketches by Windele.
consist of two or three stones on either side supporting two coverhig-stones, the
one at a lower level than the other, the lower measuring 6 feet long.
Windele, J., MS. "Cork West and North-East," pp. 833, 834, with two drawings.
3. In the Townland of Gortaleen, and Parish of Kinneigh, is
a dolmen marked Giants Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 94.
*4, *5. In the Townland of Cappeen East, and Parish of
Kinneigh, are two monuments, marked respectively in the
Ord. Surv. Map No. 94, O'Boughallds Bed and O'Boughallds
Grave,
6. In the Townland of Letter, and Parish of Kilmeen, is a
monument marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 122.
7. In the Townland of Maulatanvally, and Parish of Ross, was
a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps No. 121, 134, but a
stone-circle is given in Carrigagrenane, the next Townland.
Windele speaks of a " cromleac " here.
Windele, J., MS. " Cork West and North-East," p. 855.
8. In the Townland of Ahaglaslin, and Parish of Castleventry,
is a dolmen marked Callaheencladdig in the Ord. Surv. Map
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County of Cork.
Z7
No. 143. It is near the highroad, between Ross and Clonakelty,
on the S. side of the stream, descending from the hill base of
Templeen. The stream, which runs below it, is called Awna
Fig. 41. — Ahaglashlin. Sketch by the Author,
Hinch, or properly the Ahaglasnin (so spelt by Windele). It
stands halfway up the steep and rugged hillside, at the foot of a
Fig. 42.— Ahaglashlin. From a sketch by Windele,
't^^r^^.At-^^^.^
wall of rock on the S. It is a mile S. of Lochaun-a-Muckadee.
It is S.W. of TeampuU Faugh tna, or Fochin ; and Lisfaughtna
and a holy well ; and N.E. of Cloghna Point and Rock
Windele describes this fine dolmen as follows: **The incumbent slab rests on
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
four great stones, two at the N. side, and two at the S., the latter having yielded
inwards. The N.E. supporter is 6 feet high and 4 feet 6 ins. broad. The N.W.
one is 4 feet high and 5 feet broad. The incumbent slab measures 12 feet 6
ins. long by 6 feet broad, and i foot 6 ins. thick, the latter measurement taken at
its thickest part The stones are brown grauwacke,'^
My own measurements of this dolmen accord fairly with those just given, only
■K.
Fig. 43. — ^Ahaglashlin. Another vmuyfrom a sketch by H'indele.
>^j.
that I make the cap-stone somewhat larger and 6 ins. thicker, viz. greatest length,
13 feet 6 ins. ; greatest breadth, 8 feet 6 ins. ; and greatest thickness, 2 feet The
chamber lies £. and W., and from the end of the outermost eastern side stone,
i
Fig. 44.— Ahaglashlin. Plan by the Author,
measures 16 feet Its internal breadth at the W. end is 4 feet, and it narrows as it
runs eastward. Between the under face of the cap-stone and the tops of the stone
at the W. end, and the two contiguous supporters, two small thinnish stones have
been inserted, reminding us of the construction of the Labba na Callighe, near
Fermoy. That at the N.W. corner measures 4 feet across, and that at the S.W.
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County of Cork. 39
feet 6 ins. The stones forming the sides of the chamber are from i foot to
inches thick, and stone B, as Windele states, b 6 feet high. The following are
eir hrpflrlth Tn^5isiin»inAnfa •
9
iheir breadth measurements : —
ft.
ins.
ft.
ins.
ft.
ins.
ft.
ins.
^ = 5
6
B = 5
3
C=4
9
D = i
6
E = 3
F = I
8
G = 6
2
H = s
4
J=4
6
K = 3
L = 3
6
In the positions of the stones D, £, F, K, and L may be recognized the
existence of an outer range on either side. At the W. end of the monument,
extending for six or seven yards beyond it, is a rugged pile of stones in disorder,
which has the appearance of being the debris of a passage which, perhaps, formed
an elongation, the structure stretching originally in Aat direction.
The stones of which the dolmen is formed were almost certainly detached from
the cliff under which it stands, where some serviceable ones for the purpose are still
to be seen protruding from their bed.
Windele, J., MS. "Cork West and North-East," p. 768; and two sketches; W.C.B. Note-
book, 1895.
In the Barony I bane and Barryroe.
•In the Townland of Bohonagh, and Parish of Castleventry,
one-third of a mile due N. of the " Callaheencladdig," a
Cromlech and stone-circle are marked in the Ord. Surv. Map
No. 143.
From inquiries made on the spot, I think that, unless a dolmen has been
removed, this monument is a pillar-stone.
In the Barony of Kinalmeaky.
1. In the Townland of Killaneer, and Parish of Murragh,
is a monument marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 95.
2. In the Townland of Bengour, and Parish of Murragh,
is a monument marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 95.
3. In the Townland of Derrycool and Parish of Kilbrogan,
is a monument marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 109.
In the Barony of Kinsale.
I. In the Townland of Mitchelstown, in Palacetown Demesne,
and Parish of Clontead, is a dolmen marked Druids Altar in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 112.
In the Barony of Bear.
I. At GortaguUane, in the Townland of Cappaleigh, and
Parish of Kilcaskan, near Adrigole Imade and Hungry Hill, was
a dolmen, not marked in either of the Townlands of Cappaleigh
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
North and South, in Orel. Surv. Maps 103, 116. The dolmen
was called Carrig-a-guUane.
I was unable to discover this dolmen in 1895. The incumbent stone was a
large thick mass of rock, 6 feet 4 ins. long and 6 feet broad. At the E. side,
Fig. 45. — Gortagullane. I^rom a sketch by l^l^inafic,
a few feet from it, stands a single "dallan," or pillar-stone, 3 feet 9 ins. high and
2 feet 2 ins. broad.
Windele, J., IMS. *«Cork West and North-East," p. 906.
2. In the Townland of Canrooska and Parish of Kilcaskan^
above Glengariff Harbour, near the waterfalls, is a monument
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 90.
3. In the Townland of Ardaragh, at the E. end of Bear
■ <^-s ^'-v, ■ - -^^^r _-
Fig. 46. — ^Ardaragh. From a sketch by the Author,
Island on the S. side, in the Parish of Killaconenagh, is a dolmen
not marked in the Ord. Surv. Maps 128 and 129 which contain
this Townland. It is on Neils Farm, by the side of the road, on
the slope of a slight elevation, near the sea.
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County of Cork.
41
A plan and elevation of this dolmen were taken by Mr. Denis Murphy of
Bantry, and may be found among the Windele MSS. They are, however, useless
for determining what the monument was like.
I therefore made a point of visiting it in the summer of 1895, and found it to be
a remarkably fine and typical specimen.
The monument lies due E. and W. At the W. end is an antechamber, portico,
or cell— call it as we like — in front of which stand two lofty pillar-stones, 4 feet
Fig. 47. — Ardaragh. Flan by the Author, Scale i of an inch = i foot.
3 ins. apart, where their lower portions rise from a bank of grass-grown earth and
dSbris^ with which the lower part of the cell is filled, but leaning together until they
meet at a height of some six feet above their bases, thus forming a triangular-shaped
aperture or entrance into the cell. Whether, in the first instance, this was intended,
Fig. 48.— Ardaragh, the west end. Sketch by the Author.
or whether they stood upright, it is difficult to say. That on the N. (A) is the
longer of the two, and leans to the S., at an angle of nearly 45 degrees. It
measures 1 1 feet 5 ins. long, 3 feet broad, and 8 inches thick. That on the S. (B)
measures 8 feet 6 ins. long, i.e, high, 3 feet 4 ins. broad, and 9 inches thick.
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42 The Dolmens of Ireland.
The cell measures 8 feet from N. to S., and 4 feet from E. to W. The S. side
is at present open, but it is clear that a stone has been removed from the vacant
space. The N. side is formed by a slab 3 feet 6 ins. long, 6 feet high, and 10
inches thick (C). The E. side consists of a single slab of large proportions,
measuring 9 feet long, 4 feet 9 ins. high, and 7 inches thick (D). A roofing-stone
(E), which may have suffered some displacement, since, although long enough to
cover the entire cell, it scarcely covers two-thirds of it, rests slantingly on the upper
edges of the stones forming the N. and W. sides, and projects beyond them, as if
tilted out of position. I scarcely think that its size warrants the supposition that it
ever rested on the tops of the two pillars, even if they were upright, as, had it
done so, it would not have covered the cell The dimensions of this roofing-stone
are 8 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 6 inches thick. At the S. end of the slab which
forms the £. side of the cell is a stone (F) standing at right angles to it, measuring
3 feet broad, 5 feet 4 ins. high, and 10 inches thick. This may have formed the S.
end of the cell, and have been shifted from its place. There is another upright
stone (G) z foot 6 ins. wide, 3 feet 6 ins. high, and i foot 2 ins. thick, at the N. end
of the slab.
The slab D forms the partition between the cell and the main chamber of the
dolmen which is in a ruinous condition. When perfect, this chamber must have
measured about 13 feet long, and it terminated in a stone at the E end (H), 2 feet
7 ins. wide, 2 feet high, and 6 inches thick, narrowing to this width from a width of
7 feet at the W. end. Its N. side was formed by two stones, the W. one (K)
measuring 2 feet 6 ins. long, 4 feet 6 ins. high, and 5 inches thick ; the E. one (L)
II feet long, from 2 to 3 feet wide (which would have represented its height, had it
not collapsed inwards), and i foot thick. The S. side was formed by three stones,
that to the W. (M) measuring 2 feet 6 ins. long, 4 feet 6 ins. high, and 5 inches
thick, exactly corresponding to the opposite one ; that in the centre displaced (N),
and now lying outside to the S.E., measuring 6 feet long, 2 feet 6 ins. wide {i.e.
high), and 7 inches thick ; that to the E. (P) 7 feet long, i foot 7 ins. wide, and
S inches thick — this latter thrown out of its line, probably when the chamber
collapsed. With the fall of the N. side of the chamber, the roofing-stone of this
end of the monument (Q) has fallen also, and now rests horizontally on the side
slab. It is a fine slab, measuring 14 feet 7 insL long, 5 feet 3 ins. wide, and 7 inches
thick. The two side slabs of this chamber protrude some 8 to 12 inches beyond
the terminal stone.
I know of no dolmen in Ireland which is so capable of perfect restoration
in the mind's eye of one who has been accustomed to study the construction of
these monuments as this one. I think it possible that there may have been a
third roofing-stone at the W. end; the W. side of which may have been sup-
ported by the two remarkable pillars which now lean together at that end. The E.
end of it would have rested on the second cap-stone which now partially covers
the ceU, and which, in turn, overlapped the third and E. one. Thus the whole
monument would have had the appearance of a flight of three steps, extendmg
for about 22 feet from E. to W., and rising from a height of about 3 feet at the
E. end to a height of some 12 feet at least at the W. end. I suspect, also, judging
from analogy, that, if the little mound which fills the W. cell were cleared away to
the base of the slab D, which forms its & side, some hole, creep, or aperture,
similar to that beneath a slab which occupies a like position in the great dolmen
in the Townland of Burren, near Blacklion in Cavan, would be found to exist.
The structure bears a strong resemblance to one of the six at MacKee's Farm,
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County of Cork. 43
Glenmalin, Co. Donegal {infrd\ and also to the Portuguese example at Paredes,
near Evora in Portugal, which forms the frontispiece to M. Cartailhac's "Ages
Prehistoriques de TEspagne."
Windcle, J., MS. " Cork West and Norlh-East," p. 864 ; W.C.B. Note-book, 1895.
In the Barony of Bantry.
1. In the Townland of Cappanaboul, near the lake of that
name, in the Parish of Kilmocomoge, Windele mentions a cromlech
surrounded by a circle. In the Ord. Surv. Map No. 105 a circle
is marked, but no cromlech.
Windele speaks of ''a cromlech" here ''surrounded by a circle consisting
of ten pillar-stones " ; also " a collection of Druidical stones."
Windele, J., " Historical Notes of the City of Cork, and its Vicinity,*' p. 27a
2. In the Townland of Coomleagh, and Parish of Kilmo-
comoge, near the Mealagh river there is a dolmen called Dermot
and Granids Bed. In Coomleagh East "gallauns" {ji.e. pillar-
stones) are marked near the river in Ord. Surv. Map No. 106,
but no cromlech.
This monument is mentioned in Miss Stokes's MS. Notes ; also in her '' Carte
des Dolmens." There is an ogam stone a mile and a half W. of it See Brash,
" Ogam monuments," p. 159.
3. In the Townland of CuUenagh and Parish of Kilmocomoge,
there is a dolmen called Dermot and Granids Bed, marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 107.
In the Barony of Carbery West.
1. At Castlehaven, "halfway between Mr. Somerville's house
and Castlehaven," Windele notices a dolmen, " in a field over-
looking the sea.'* It was in the Parish of Castlehaven, but is
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 151. It was called Peakeen
Cnoc Dromin.
Windele's sketch of this shows that it had two covering-stones, one of which
measured 9 feet long by 5 feet 6 ins. broad. It had been dismantled.
Windele, J., MS. "Cork Topography,'* p. 857, with sketch.
2. In the Townland of Corran, on the hill of that name just
over Corran Lake to the N., and in the Parish of Kilmackabea,
N. of Leap, a dolmen was discovered in a cairn, which was
removed. It is not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 133.
The cairn measured 31 yards in diameter, and was 20 feet high. It was
destroyed about the year 1838; and the dolmen it contained, which Windele
speaks of as a leacht, was demolished at the same time. The chamber was
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44
The Dolmens of Ireland.
'' composed of end, foot, and side stones/' and within it was found an urn
"covered all over with writing" (that is to say, no doubt, decorated in the
usual manner with chevrons and other patterns arranged in bands). In the urn
were a quantity of ashes, and fragments of bone, and outside and around the
chamber were " small bones, seemingly those of dogs,"
Windele, J., MS. " Cork West and North-East,'* p. 626 : See also id. pp. 666, 667.
3. In the Townland of Altar, and Parish of Kilmoe, close to
^^^^^f*
'^^^
^hp-
Fig. 49. — Altar. Froni a sketch by tht Author,
the edge of the cliff on the E. side of Toormore Bay, is a dolmen
marked Cromlech on Ord. Surv. Map No. 148.
There are several drawings of this monument extant, both among the Windele
MSS., and in the collection of Miss Stokes, one of the latter being a copy of one
stated to be " in the possession of Mrs. O'Grady, of Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin."
The chamber lies E. and W., and must, when perfect, have been over 12 feet in
length by 6 feet 6 ins. broad inter-
\
nally at the W. end, narrowing to
(probably) 3 feet at the E. end.
Three stones compose the N.
side, and a similar number the
S. side, but probably in both
cases there were others now re-
moved. The structure possesses
two cap-stones, that at the W.
end (A) measuring 8 feet 6 ins.
broad from N. to S., by 8 feet
2 ins. (on the slope) from K to
W., and that at the E. end (B)
10 feet from S.W. to N.K, and
7 feet 3 ins. from N.W. to S.E.
The former of these roofing-stones
rests slantways against the edges
of the side stones at the W. end, having probably fallen into that position owing
to the removal of other side and end stones. A piece has been broken out of its
N.K comer, which gives it somewhat the appearance of a painter's pallet. In the
centre of the E. roofing-stone is a small hollow or cavity, possibly natural, but
which would have served as a cup.
v....
Fig. 50. — Altar. Plan by the Author,
Scale I of an inch = i foot.
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County of Cork.
Length,
ft. ins.
C = 4 6
Height.
ft. IHK.
4 6
D = 2 o
3 6
E = 2 4
I 6
F = 4 o
3 2
G = 2 9
2 3
H=4 o
I lO
45
The dimensions of the side stones are as follows :—
All the stones average from i foot 3 to 9 inches thick. It is stated that the
stones of this monument have sunk.
Windele, J., MS. " Cork To]
possession of Miss M. Stokes ; "
," p. 1007 ; Collection of drawings of dolmens in the
B'. Note-book, 1S95.
v/^- - ---::-^-
Fig. 51. — Altar, the Mizzen Head in the distance. From a drawing in the coiiection of
Miss Af, Stokest kindly lent by her to the Author,
4, 5. In the Townland of Arduslough, and Parish of Kilmoe,
are two dolmens, each marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv. Map
No. 147.
6. In the Townland of Tooreen, adjoining that of Arduslough,
and close to the sea opposite Crookhaven, in the Parish of Kilmoe,
is a dolmen marked in the Cromlech Ord. Surv. Map No. 147.
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46 The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF LIMERICK.
In the Barony of Owneybeg.
I. In the Townland of Cappanahannagh, and Parish of
Abington ; '* near Lissguaire," and on the N.W. of the Slieve
Felim Mountains, is a dolmen marked Tuamanirvore in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 6.
^ This dolmen stands on a small eminence in a field. It measures 21 feet long,
4 feet broad, and 3 feet high. Its sides are described as each defended by large
stones, from 3 to 4 feet high, set upright in a row, and deeply sunk in the ground.
Two stones of the same size as those of the sides, and set in the ground in the same
way, defend the ends. The grave was uncovered above. It appeared, however,
that there had been stones placed over it which rested on and were supported by
the end [? side] ones. These stones lay confusedly on each side. There was also a
heap of smaller stones overgrown with grass."
O.S.L., Co. Limerick, — — , p. 444.
' £.0
In the Barony of Shanid.
1. In the Townland of Tinnakilla, and Parish of Kilmoylan,
marked Crom Leac in Ord. Surv. Map No. i8.
This monument is thus described " The northern end of the covering flagstone
nearly touches the ground. It is supported on ten brown field-stones which could
not be measured, as they are almost entirely covered with small stones, grass, etc.
A clear view of the interior can be obtained from the W. end, where the space
between the supporting-stones is 4 feet 4, and the end of the flag is raised i foot 4 ins.
from the ground. This flag measures 9 feet 4 ins. from N. to S., and 7 feet 6 from
£. to W. At the S. end and at the N. end the measurement is 5 feet It is
2 feet thick at the S. end, and i foot 6 at the N. end, and it inclines slightly down-
wards towards the N. The flag is green mountain stone. The monument is
situated in a cornfield on a hilL About half a furlong S. of it is a standing stone,
almost in the form of an isosceles triangle. It is 7 feet high, 5 feet 9 ins. wide, and
I foot 2 ins. thick, but seemingly once 2 feet thick, as pieces have been broken
from it"
O.S.L., Co. Limerick, --^, p. 34; Windele, MSS. vol. viii.,and "Miscellany," p. 205, with
sketch made by J. Costelloe in 1845.
In the Barony of Smallcounty.
I. In the Townland of Friarstown North, and Parish of
Fedamore, about a mile N.W. of the dolmen at Kilpeacon, was
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County of Limerick. 47
a dolmen, not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 13 and 22, which
contain the Townland.
The description of this monument is as follows : " A large stone, 7 feet high
[? long], 5 feet broad, and i foot thick, supported by small stones set on the edges,
which being removed, human bones of an extraordinary size were found underneath
the monument."
O.S.L., Co. Limerick, —-, p. 380.
XL. o
2, In the Townland of Kilpeacon, and Parish of Kilpeacon,
about six miles and a half N.W. of Lough Gur, was a dolmen
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 22.
3, 4. In the Townland of Ballynagallach, and Parish of
Knockainy. Two Giant's Graves are marked in this Town-
- ^ «. - ' •■' . • ."
Fig. 52. — Ballynagallach. From a draviing in the possession of Miss M, Stokes.
land in Ord.^Surv. Map No. 32. The one is on the N. side
of the Townland close to the S. margin of Lough Gur. The
other lies about three-quarters of a mile to the S. of it. The
Townland to the W. of that of Ballynagallach is named Ardan-
reagh. The Townland and church of Knockainy lie two miles
and a half to the S.E. The indication of the position of the S.
Giant's Grave is in the plural, — " Giant's Graves," — and another
is shown in close proximity to the one in Ballynagallach, but on
the farther side of the boundary of the Townland, Parish, and
Barony, which passes between the monuments. See below
Townland of Grilla.
5. In the Townland of Lough Gur, and Parish of Knockainy,
a Giant's Grave is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 32 close to
the lake, at a distance of about half a mile N.E. of the northern-
most Giant's Grave in the Townland of Ballynagallach. It lies
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48 The Dolmens of Ireland.
N. of a lis marked Carriggalla Fort This dolmen and the
northern Ballynagallach one are indicated in the map by a large
stone surrounded by an enclosure or circle of smaller ones in the
manner of the Carrowmore dolmen-circles in Sligo.
These three last-mentioned dolmens, together with No. 7 {infra)^ and No. i in
the Barony of Coshma {infra), numbering five in all, we may consider as con-
stituting the Lough Gur group.
Of the first of these (No. 3, supra) the following descriptive details are given in
the O.S. Letters : " Near the side of Lough Gur, and not far from Blackcastle, is a
Giant's Grave of great size, and divided into two parts, of which the first measures
14 feet in length, and 5 feet in breadth. This division was originally covered over-
head with three massive flagstones, of which two are now displaced. The largest
of these^ which is in the middle, measures 7 feet in length, 4 feet in breadth, and
I foot 6 ins. in thickness. The other division of this grave is on a line with the former,
and extends westwards. It is 7 feet in length and 4 feet in breadth."
Owing to the kindness of Miss Margaret Stokes, I am enabled to present a
sketch of this monument made on the spot between the date of the Survey and its
destruction.
The second (No. 5, supra) is described thus : "The old church of £aile-na-
gcailleach, or Nuns' Town, stood on the eastern slope of the hill of the same name
{i.e. Ballynagallagh). About half a furlong to the N. of this old graveyard, and on
the northern summit of the same hill, there is a Giant's Grave or cromlech which has
often attracted the attention of the curious. It is now thrown down, but the stones
are on the ground, and one may easily perceive how they were originally fixed. The
flag, supported by the galldns, or uprights, is nearly of the shape of an equilateral
triangle measuring 7 feet in height, 6 feet 6 ins. at the base, and i foot 6 ins. in thick-
ness. The upright stones measure, one 4 feet in length, 2^ feet in height, and 10 inches
in thickness ; the other 6 feet in length, 3 feet in height, and i foot in thickness."
Of the third and fourth (No. 4, supra, and No. i in the Barony of Coshma, infra), I
find no special description, but think that they must be those mentioned by Fitz-
gerald as " two other monuments of the same kind " as that just described situated
" less than half a mile south of it," one of which had, at the time he wrote, been
lately broken down by a farmer, who had two of the stones taken away to make
pillars for his gateway.
The fifth and last dolmen of the group (No. 7, supra) was associated with the
circles on the W. side of Lough Gur. It is perhaps the one of which mention is
made in Gough's edition of " Camden's Britannia," as a small cromlech on a hill
near three circles of stones which the writer says that he regarded as " the remains
of a Druidical temple." Fitzgerald, in his "History of Limerick," mentions a
cromleac as being " close to" one of the three circles which measured 17 yards b
diameter, and was composed of fifteen large rocks standing erect. Mr. Lynch, in
a paper in the "Cork Hist, and ArchaeoL Society" for July, 1895, places the site of
the cromlech a hundred feet due south of the mound or rath, as he calls it, which
surrounds the large circle. " It would be impossible," he says, " to discover by any
means now whether this cromlech was surrounded by a circle. The cromlech was
destroyed many years ago, and not a stone is left." He was informed, however,
that " the tops of the supporting-stones approached each other closely from the two
sides, and that a series of flags, like stepping-stones across a stream, led from it due
north to the circle." This cromlech is also mentioned in the O.S. Letters. It had
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County of Limerick. 49
been destroyed some years previous to the date of the Survey, but people could
still point out the spot where it stood.
Camden's " Britannia," edit. Gough, vol. iii. p. 518 ; " Hist, of Limerick," by Fitzgerald, vol. i.
p. 298 ; Paper by Mr. Beaufort, Trans. R.I. A., vol. xv. p. 138 (circles described, but not dolmen) ;
O.S.L., Co. Limerick, -^, pp. 253, 373, and 402 ; Paper by Mr. Lynch, " Journ. Cork Hist.
E. 9
and Archaeol. Soc.," vol. i.. No. 7, pp. 296-7 ; MS. *' Notes and Sketches," Miss M. Stokes.
6. In the Townland of Cromwell, and Parish of Ballinlough,
there is a dolmen marked Dermot and Granicis Bed in Ord.
Surv, Map No. 33. It is indicated by two parallel lines of four
stones each.
This dolmen is described as follows : — ** Near the western extremity of a lofty
hill in this Townland there is a Giant's Grave. The monument lies N.£. and S.W.
It is 20 feet long, and 5 feet broad. On the S. side there are five stones standing
on edge, and the same number on the N. side. The height of these standing
stones is, at an average, 4 feet, but they dififer in shape and size. They were
originally covered by several large flags, placed nearly in an horizontal position, but
of these only one remains firm in its original position. It is a remarkably massive
limestone flag nearly of the form of a diamond, and measuring 9 feet 5 ins. long
by 7 feet broad, by i foot 2\ ins. thick."
" The stone which formed the W. end of the chamber has fallen, but its exact
original position can be determined. It is 7 feet long, and i foot 2 ins. thick.
Between this and the large horizontal flag there is a smaller flag which was
originally placed in an horizontal position, and covered the W. end of the
chamber. It has, however, slipped off its S. supporter, and its S. end has fallen
in, its N. extremity still resting on its original supporter. It measures 5 feet
3 ins. long; 3 feet 2 ins. broad, and i foot thick."
" Near the N.W. extremity of this monument there is a large rude stone laid
prostrate, measuring 8 feet 4 ins. long, and 4 feet broad. This probably stood
erect in its present position."
"At the S.E. comer of the monument there are three stones of rude shape
standing erect The flagstone which formed the N.E. end is still in its original
position. It measures 5 feet broad, but, owing to the earth being raised about it,
its height could not be determined."
O.S.L., Co. Limerick, ^r^» p. 409-
u.. 9
7. In the Townland of Grange, and Parish of Monastera-
nenagh, on the W. side of Lough Gur, a hundred feet due S.
of the principal circle of the western or Ardaghlougher group of
circles, Mr. Lynch places the site of a destroyed dolmen, not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 32.
In the Barony of Coshlea.
I. In the Townland of Deerpark, E. of that of Duntryleague,
on the hill lying to the E. of the Church of Duntryleague, in
the Parish of Galbally, is a dolmen marked Dermot and Gramas
VOL. I. E
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50
The Dolmens of Ireland.
Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 49. This must be the same dolmen
which Miss Stokes speaks of as Duntryleague, and which has been
Fig. 53. — Deerpark (Duntryleague). From a sketch in the possession of Miss M, Stokes,
also called Ballyscaddan, S.E. of which latter place it is situated.
This dolmen is described as follows : — ** On the hill lying to the E. of the church
of Duntryleague there is, in the middle of the heath, a very remarkable sepulchral
monument, universally called Leaba Diarmada agus Grainnh It consists of a
cromlech formed of three flagstones standing on edge on the N. side, two on the
E. side, and three on the S. side, covered overhead with two massive flagstones,
one towards the N.W., the other on the S.E., the S.E. end of the former support-
ing the latter. The former measures 6 feet 8 ins. by s feet lo ins. ; the latter
6 feet lo ins. by 4 feet 5 ins. The greatest height of the first flag from the present
level of the ground is 5 feet 10 ins.
From this monument standing stones extend in a N. and N.W. direction, and
there are two large flagstones displaced, which they evidently supported. The
hill on which it stands commands a wide panoramic view of the country in every
direction.
Among the sketches in the collection of Miss Margaret Stokes is a good
illustration of this dolmen. It is stated to consist oi fourteen stones on edge, in
addition to three roofing-stones.
O.S.L., Co. Limerick, '^ , p. 222. Original sketches in the possession of Miss M. Stokes.
2. In the Townland of Ballyfroota, and Parish of Ballingarry,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 49. It is
S.E. of the one in the Townland of Deerpark, and it is close to a
Tobereendoney (Tober Righ an Domhnaigh), or ** Sunday Well.*'
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County of Limerick. 51
3. In the Townland of Barna, and Parish of Galbally, a Crom-
lech is marked in Ord. Surv, Map No. 50.
In the Barony of Coshma.
I. In the Townland of Grilla, and Parish of TuUabracky, is
one of the two Giant's Graves named together in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 32, on the edge of the Townland of Ballygallach (which
see). The two monuments were close together, and formed part
of the Lough Gar group, but the boundary of the Barony passes
between them.
See above uader Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 7, in the Barony of Smallcounty.
Note. — Windele mentions that in the Ord. Surv. Map a circle
S. of Ardaclugg, or Belmornt, in the County of Cork, is marked
Cromlech in error. A similar mistake occurs near Bandon.
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52 The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF TIPPERARY.
In the Barony of Owney and Arra.
!• In the Townland of Knockanroe, and Parish of KilloscuUy,
a Cromlech is marked on Ord. Surv, Map No. 32. It is on the
N. side of, and very near the Mulkea river, running through Glen
Colloo.
2. In the Townland of Bauraglanna, and Parish of KilloscuUy,
is a dolmen on Slieve Kimalta or Keeper Hill, N.E. of the
summit, and S. of the Mulkea river and Glen Colloo, marked
Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 32. An oval
stone-setting is marked on the same map to the N. of the dolmen,
and named Firbrega. It is possibly another dolmen-circuit.
Described as "a broken cromlech.'*
O.S.L., Co. Tipperary, — ^ , p. 17.
F. 19
3, 4. In the Townland of Baurnadomeeny, and Parish of
Abington, are two dolmens, each marked Dermot and Granids
Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 38.
In the Barony of Ormond Upper.
1. In the Townland of Lisgarriff West, and Parish of DoUa, is
a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 33.
2. In the Townland of Foilnamuck, and Parish of Dolla, is a
dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 33. It lies about a quarter of a mile S.W. of that in the
Townland of Lisgariff West
3. In the Townland of Curreeny Commons, and Parish of
Dolla, is a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 33.
These are mentioned as " broken cromlechs in the Parish of Dolla, dismantled
monuments of the same kind as that on Sliabh Comhailt, i.e. Slieve Kimalta."
O.S.L., Co. Tipperary, — ^i p. 40.
F. 9
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County of Tipperary. 53
In the Barony of Kilnamanagh Upper.
I- In the Townland of Loughbrack, and Parish of Templebeg,
is a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 39. This must be the same as that named Clochbrack in
Miss Stokes's list, since it is a mile and a half from that at Foil-
mahonmore, and it must be the same also as the Lagbreac stated
in the Ord, Surv. Letters to be in Templebeg parish.
The writer of the O.S.L. who mentions Lagbreac, says that from the presence
of this name, he is of opinion that a monument is indicated which existed on the
mountain-side, half a century before he visited the spot It was a remarkable
cromlech, and its site was still pointed out
O.S.L., Co. Tipperary, , p. 511.
F. 18
2, 3. In the Townland of Knocknabansha, and Parish of
Upperchurch, are two Cromlechs, so marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 39.
4. In the Townland of Knockduff, and Parish of Toem, is
a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 39. This
Townland joins Knockcurraghbola Commons.
5. In the Townland of Graniera, and Parish of Upperchurch,
a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 39. It is
the same as that described as on the Commons of Cnoc Corra-
bhuaile (Knockcorraboy).
This dolmen is described as follows : '^ On a low green hill is a Gianf s Grave
in tolerable preservation. It lies £. and W., and measures 17 feet 9 ins. long by
3 feet wide. There are five supporters on the N. side, which extend the entire
length ; but there are only three on the S. side, which do not do so. The W. end
is dosed by one standing stone 7 feet long, 2 feet 9 ins. high, and i foot 6 ins. thick;
but the one which closed the E. end is absent There is a circle composed of
eight stones standing outside the monument, four on either side. The western end
of the chamber is covered over by two large flags laid nearly horizontally. Of
these the more western one is 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and i foot 7 ins. thick.
The more eastem is 7 feet 6 ins. long, 5 feet wide, and i foot 6 ins. thick. They
are all mountain grit"
O.S.L.. ^, p. 514.
6. 7, 8. In the Townland of Knockshanbrittas, and Parish of
Doon, are three dolmens, two of which are marked Cromlech and
the third Giant's Grave on Ord. Surv. Map No. 39. One is near
the W. boundary of the Townland ; a second is higher up the
slope of the hill, a hundred and twenty yards E. of the former,
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54 The Dolmens of Ireland.
and the third is E. of the second, " a little further on, on the top
of the hill." In Miss Stokes's "Carte des Dolmens" the two
first are named Knockbrittas, and the third Doon.
The first of these dolmens is described thus : " This monument extends E. and
W., and measures 9 feet 9 ins. long by 3 feet 6 ins. broad at the W, end, and 3 feet
at the E. end, with a height of only 3 feet. There are three supporters at the
S. side, tt^ro at the W. end, and four at the N. side. The one which closed the
E. end is broken. These support two flags, the more western of which measures
5 feet 10 ins. from N. to S., and 4 feet 8 ins. from £. to W. It is 7 ins. thick.
The more eastern one measures 6 feet 10 ins. from N. to S., and 4 feet from
E. to W."
''The second measures 9 feet long by 4 feet wide. It lies E. and W., and is
covered overhead with two flags, the more eastern of which measures 5 feet 6 ins.
from N. to S., and 4 feet 2 ins. from K to W. It is i foot 4 ins. thick. The other
measures 5 feet 8 ins. from N. to S., by 2 feet 10 ins. from R to W., and is i foot
thick. The number of supporters is uncertain, as the earth is raised almost to the
height of the flags which rest on them."
O.S.L., Co. Tipperary, — ^^- . p. 273, el seqq,
F. 18
9. In the Townland of Foilmahonmore, and Parish of Doon,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 39. It is
" on the top of a small hillock in a deep valley."
" This dolmen lies E. and W., and it slopes or inclines to the W. The top flag
measures 7 feet from E. to W., and 4 feet 8 ins. from N. to S. The stones on
which this flag rests are buried deep in the earth, and their measurements could not
be obtained."
O.S.L., Co. Tipperary, - '^-, p. 273. et seqq.
ID. In the Townland of Foilycleary, and Parish of Doon, is a
dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44. It is a
hundred paces E. of the stream which divides the Counties of
Limerick and Tipperary, S. of the one at Foilmahonmore, which
is, again, S. of the Knockshanbrittas group.
'' This dolmen lies £. and W. It measures 10 feet long, and 3 feet 8 ins. broad.
Four stones only remain standing. One on the S. side is 6 feet long, 4 feet high
at the W. end, and 2 feet at the £. end. It is i foot 6 ins. thick. The stone at
the W. end is 6 feet long, 5 feet 3 ins. high, and i foot thick. The one at the N.
is 3 feet long, i foot 6 ins. high, and i foot thick. The covering-stone supported
by these inclines to the £., and measures 5 feet 2 ins. from N. to S., 4 feet 6 ins*
from £• to W., and 8 inches in thickness. The stones arc green mountain flags."
O.S.L.,^^-.p.273.
*ii. In the Townland of Curraheen, and Parish of Toem, is
a monument of some sort marked Emonaknock's Grave in Ord.
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County of Tipperary. 55
Surv. Map No. 45. It lies a mile and a quarter W.S.W. of
Lachtseefin, a cairn on Knockbane, in the Parish of Clonoulty
and Barony of Kilnamanagh Lower.
For Eamonn-a-cnuicc, a celebrated traditionary character of the mountains of
Tipperary, see O'Donovan's addenda to O'Reilly's Diet., in voc.
In the Barony of Kilnamanagh Lower.
I. In the Townland of Clogher, and Parish of Clogher, is a
dolmen marked Druid's Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 46.
In the Barony of Slievardagh.
♦i. At Derrynaflan, in the Townland of Lurgoe, and Parish
of Graystown, is a monument marked Gobban Saer^s Grave in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 54.
In the Barony of Ormond Lower.
*i. In the Parish of Terryglass (I am uncertain in what Town-
land) I was informed there was a monument called The Coblet^s Box.
W.C.B. Note-book, 1895.
In the Barony of Iffa and Offa East.
I. At the boundary of the Townlands of Tober, Shanbally,
and Ballyknockane ; of the Parishes of Clooneen and Templeetney,
and of the Baronies of Iffa and Offa East and Middlethird, to the
S. of a natural pile of rocks called Fin Mac Cumhail's Table, which,
again, is six paces S.E. of the immense cairn which crowns Slieve-
naman (Sliabh-na-mban-fionn), is said in the Ord. Surv. Letters
to be a dolmen. Its site is not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 78.
The following is the description of this place : " On the summit of the mountain
there is a large cairn, M paces in circumference at the base, and about 9 feet in
perpendicular height. In the eastern side of this cairn there are very large rocks
mixed with the smaller stones. At the distance of six paces from the cairn, to the
S.E., are other large rocks, evidently natural. Some of them are not less than
a hundred tons in weight, and on the top of the longest of them is a second rock,
which is very flat, and called Fin Mac Cumhail's Table. It is 5 feet 4 ins. long by
4 feet 6 ins. broad, 3 feet thick, and smooth on the top. These rocks are certainly
natural ; but immediately to the S. of them there is what appears to be a dolmen.
It is, at all events, a rock resting on four pillar-stones, and slanting a little towards
the N., but not more than 6 or 7 inches out of the horizontal. It measures 7 feet
from N. to S., 4 feet from E. to W. at the S. end, and 5 feet 5 ins. in the middle.
It varies in thickness, being 4 feet 3 ins. thick on the E. side, 3 feet on the W. side,
3 feet 10 ins. on the S. side, and 4 feet at the N. end. The stone supporting this
rock at the S.E. comer is 2 feet high, and the same broad. The one on the other
side is laid flat, and the other two supporters so surrounded by loose stones that they
could not be measured."
O.S.L., Co. Tipperary, -^ , p. 154.
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56 The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF WATERFORD.
In the Barony of Upperthird.
1. In the Townland of Gurteen- Lower, and Parish of Kil-
sheelan, marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 2 ; in low-lying
ground just S. of the river Suir, near a stream which falls into it.
"This monument consists of five standing stones, in-egularly placed, supporting
a large flag in an inclined position. All the stones composing it are sandstone.
The flag lies E. and W., and measures 9 feet 8 ins. from E. to W., and 8 feet 7 ins.
from N. to S. It is 3 feet thick at the £. end, 2 feet at the S. end, and i foot 6 ins.
at the W. end. The upright pillar supporting it at the E. end is 6 feet high, 2 feet
8 ins. wide, and 9 inches thick. The supporter next to it, on the S. side, is
6 feet 4 ins. high, 4 feet 6 ins. wide, and 3 feet thick. The next, on the S. side,
is 6 feet high, 6 feet 10 ins. wide, and 2 feet thick. The next is 5 feet 8 ins. high,
4 feet 6 ins. wide, and i foot i in. thick. The next and last is 6 feet 9 ins. high,
4 feet wide, and 2 feet 6 ins. thick. The large flag rests only on three supporters,
having slipped off the N.E. one. The area enclosed is 7 feet long by 4 feet broad."
Ryland says of the roofing-stone that it wants the flatness and peculiar position
of the more perfect of these works.
O.S.L., Co. Waterford, -^, p. 1 15; Ryland, "Hist. Waterford," p. 294; «* Carte des
Dolmens," x.». "Buolick." G. 7
2, 3. In the Townland of Ballyquin, and Parish of Fenoagh,
are two dolmens marked Cromlechs in Ord. Surv. Map No. 3.
They are near Kilquan and Toberquan.
These are described as similar to the dolmen in the Townland of Rath, als.
Rah (No. 4, infra), but they are much injured. In the N. part of the same Town-
land is a pillar-stone, 12 feet high, called the Ballyquin high stone.
O.S.L., Co. Waterford, -^^ , p. 66.
O. 7
4. In the Townland of Rath, adjoining that of Ballyquin on
the N., in the Parish of Fenoagh, is a dolmen marked Cromlech
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 3. It is indicated by a dot encircled by
a ring.
This is described as a large cromlech, consisting of a large flat stone supported
by three uprights. There was a fourth supporter, but it was broken when the note
was made of it by O'Curry.
O.S.L., Co. Waterford, — , p. 66; " Carte des Dolmens," s.v, " Clonegam."
G. 7
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County of Waterford,
57
In the Barony of Glenahiry.
I. In the Townland of Tooreen West, and Parish of Seskinan,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5.
Of this O'Cuny remarks : " In the S.E. extremity of the Townland of Tooreen
West there is a cromlech, but not so remarkable as to merit minute description,
like those already described."
O.S.L., Co. Waterford, -[^, p. loo.
In the Barony of Coshmore and Coshbride.
1. In the Townland of Labbacallee, and Parish of Lismore
and Mocollop, is a dolmen not marked in Ord, Surv. Map No. 19.
It is near Knockalough in the Knockmealdown Mountains at the
W. end of the range. The adjoining Townland is Knockalassa.
O.S.L., Co. Waterford, ^ , p. 147.
G. 7
2. In the Townland of Ballyphilip West, and Parish of Kil-
%%y-r/^.
Fig. 54. — Ballyphilip. Front a sketch {unpublished) by G, Du Noyer,
cockan, near Ballyphilip Bridge, on the W. side of the Black-
water, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 34.
This " singular stnicture consists," says Mr. Du Noyer, " of an enormous block
of grit, one end of which rests on two low supporting-stones, while the other end is
propped up by a wall of dry masonry, 3 feet high." This writer regarded this as
an example of an unfinished and abandoned dolmen.
** Antiquarian Sketches," by G. Du Noyer, in Lib. R.I.A., vol. vii., p. 2; Kilk. Archaeol.
Journ., vol. for 1864-66, — Paper by G. Du Noyer.
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58
The Dolmens of Ireland.
In the Barony of Middlethird.
I, 2. In the Townland of Gaulstown, and Parish of Lisnakill,
are two dolmens 31 feet apart— neither marked in Ord. Surv. Map
Fig. 55. — Gaulstown. jFram a drawing by C. Du Noyer,
No. 1 7. The hill called Carrickaroirk is in an adjoining Town-
land called Clonfadda, to the S. W. of which, again, is a site marked
Carrickabansha, in the Townland of Ballymoat. The rocky hill.
on the W. side of which the
dolmens actually stand, is called
Knockaghallaigh, by which
O'Curry understands "Gauls-
hill/'
The first of these monuments is
described as consisting of six pillar-
stones, supporting a large incumbent
flagstone (weighing six tons), placed
S.E. and N.W. The mcumbent stone
measures 14 feet long, and 9 feet broad
at the £. end, narrowing to 2 feet 6 ins.
at the W. end. Its thickness is 2 feet
at the £. end; i foot 3 ins. at the
W. end ; 3 feet in the middle on the N. side, and only 4 inches on the S. side.
The upright stone which supports it on the E. side is 4 feet 8 ins. high, 3 feel
wide, and 8 ins. thick. The one at the W. end is 6 feet 8 ins. high, 4 feet
6 ins. wide, and i foot 3 ins. thick. The next on the N. is 6 feet 8 ins. high.
Fig. 56. — Gaulstown. Fian by C, Du Noyer.
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County of Waterford. 59
5 feet 3 ins. wide, and 10 inches thick. The length of the chamber on the inside
is 6 feet 4 ins. ; the breadth 5 feet ; the height at the W. end 6 feet 4 ins. ; and at
the S.E. end 8 feet 4 ins. The measurements of the sides externally are 10 feet
4 ins. in length respectively. The covering-flag rests only on two side stones,
namely, those at the E. and W. ends, and does not touch the rest. The E. end of
the roofing-stone is higher than the W. end of it— a feature which O'Curry, who
gives these careful measurements, says is rarely the case. It will be noticed from
the ground plan that there is a kind of porch or antechamber formed by the pro-
jection of two side stones at the E. end of the monument. The stone which
divides the chamber from the antechamber measures 3 feet 3 ins. wide.
The second of these monuments is described by Mr. Du Noyer as a " Giant's
Grave" formed of several large slabs set on edge. It measures 16 or 17 feet long
by about 4 feet 6 ins. or 5 feet wide, and was originally covered by three flags, one
of which yet remains, measuring 8 feet long by 5 feet 6 ins. wide.
O.S.L., Co. Waterford, -^, p. 41 ; Kilk. Archaeol. Journ., vol. for 1864-66,— Paper by G. Du
G. 7
Noyer, and plate facing p. 479 ; Ryland's " Hist, of Waterford," p. 267, where it is mentioned as
"near Pembrokestown." For estimated weight of the cap-stone, see below. Part II. chap. I.
3. In the Townland of Ballynageeragh, and Parish of Dunhill,
is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 25. Between
£;^^ ^-""''i.fM^^iiiJ^^^^^
Fig. 57. — Ballynageeragh. /''rom a drawing by G, Du Noyer.
this Townland and that of Matthewstown, where there is also
a dolmen, is a Townland bearing the name Ballydermody. The
dolmen lies two miles W.S.W. of those at Gaulstown.
Of this dolmen Mr. Du Noyer has given two elevations and a ground plan. It
possesses two covering-stones. The larger of the two is extended over the smaller,
and upon this latter it rests. This smaller horizontal stone is laid on the heads of
the uprights which form the end of the chamber, in such manner as that it
protrudes beyond them externally, and forms a covering for a portico or ante-
chamber.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
The sides of the chamber itself consist of four upright stones, but the larger
covering-stone rests only upon two supports, namely, on the upright slab at
Fig. 58. — Ballynageeragh. From a drawing by G, Du I^oytr.
the N.W. end, and on the smaller and somewhat circular horizontal covering-
stone, laid, as above said, on the terminal
stones of the chamber. The large in-
cumbent stone measures 12 feet long by
8 feet broad, with an average thickness
of I foot At its more elevated end,
which is towards the N.W., it is 6 feet
above the level of the ground.
Fig. 59. — Plan of Ballynageeragh.
By G, Du Noyer.
Paper by Mr. Du Noyer in Kilk. Archaeol.
Journ., vol. for 1864-66, plates facing p. 480;
'« Antiquarian Sketches," by G. Du Noyer, in
Lib. K.LA., vol. vii., p. i; "Carte des Dol-
mens," s.v. "Gaultiere, No. 2."
4. In the Townland of Matthewstown, and Parish of Reisk,
is a dolmen marked on Ord. Surv. Map No. 26 Giant's Grave,
Leaba Thomais MacCaba. It is situated W. of Ballyscanlan
Lake.
This dolmen lies K and W., and is formed of ten standing-stones, supporting
three flagstones placed in a horizontal position. The eastern of these horizontal flags
is 4 feet 7 ins. wide, 6 feet long, and i foot 6 ins. thick. The middle one is 9 feet long,
4 feet 6 ins. wide, and i foot thick. The western one is 8 feet long, 3 feet 6 ins.
wide, and 2 feet thick. The structure is only 2 feet 6 ins. in height, differing
therefore greatly in this respect from the tall dolmens of this district
It is said that a row of standing stones originally surrounded this monument
When O'Curry visited it, however, all of these had been removed except nine,
which stood in a group at the W. end.
O.S.L., Co. Waterford, — , p. 40.
G. 7
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County of Waterford.
6i
5. In the Townland of Knockeen, and Parish of Kilburne,
IS a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17, near
Sporthouse, in the S.E. corner of the graveyard, enclosed by the
termon wall of the old church of Kilburrin, and about twenty-five
paces from the church.
• - It is five miles N. of
Tramore, on the side
of a small hill, which
Ryland speaks of as at
Sugarloaf Hill, to the
S.E. of a range of hills,
which through its en-
tire course is covered
with fragments of rock
varying in size from field stones to immense mountain masses.
Ryland calls this monument truly " a very noble cromlech." " Four oblong
masses of rock," he says, " elevated on their extremities, support a table-stone of con-
siderable magnitude, the height of which he overestimates as 20 feet" " Within the
space enclosed by the uprights or pillars," he adds, " a single stone stands entirely
Fig. 60. — Plan of Knockeen. By G, Du Noyer.
Fig. 61. — Knockeen. From a sketch by G, Du Koyer,
detached from the sides and covering of the altar. The covering-stone is chlorite
slate, and its direction E. and W."
A writer in the Dublin Fenny Journal describes it as " constructed of eight
huge rocks, six of which stand upright, while the remaining two are laid flat upon
some of the erect ones. One of the latter stones, which * he judges to be ' about
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62 The Dolmens of Ireland.
1 6 feet in length, and of proportionate breadth and thickness, weighing five or six
tons, appears to have been balanced on the top of one of the upright rocks as a
pivot"
O'Curry, who describes this dolmen as being "in perfect preservation," gives the
following careful description : "A huge flagstone, extending E. and W., is supported
by six standing stones, which do not appear to have been ever disturbed from their
original position. The three uprights at the £. end support a smaller flag, and all
support the large one, which measures 12 feet 6 ins. from £. to W., and 7 feet
S ins. from N. to S. At the middle of the S. side this large flag measures 3 feet
thick ; on the N. side 2 feet ; at the E. end 2 feet 3 ins. ; at the W. end i foot
Ko ins. ; and from each side its thickness increases towards Uie centre. Two of the
six supporters are placed at the S. side ; two at the N. ; one at the E. ; and one at
the W. Over the eastern supporter and the two side ones joining it, is placed a flag
to make a level with the two side ones at the W, end, so that the horizontal flag or
table is nearly as level as a sun-diaL The supporter at the K end is 5 feet 4 ins.
high, 6 feet wide, and 2 feet thick. The next to it, on the S. side, is 6 feet high,
5 feet wide, and i foot 6 ins. thick. The next, on the same side, is 9 feet 6 ins.
high, 5 feet wide, and 2 feet thick. The upright at the W. end is 6 feet 4 ins. high,
2 feet 10 ins. wide, and i foot 9 ins. thick. The head of this latter does not reach
the horizontal flag, so that it does not, at present, support it The next upright on
the N. side is 9 feet high, 7 feet 2 ins. wide, and 1 foot 9 ins. thick. The smaller
of the horizontal flags before referred to measures 6 feet 9 ins. from N. to S., 5 feet
5 ins. in other directions, and i foot 9 ins. in thickness. The length of the
•chamber on the outside is 13 feet, and on the inside 6 feet 6 ins. by 4 feet 3 ins.
The height of this enclosed area, from the level of the floor to its roof, on the
inside, is exactly 9 feet" The entire height of the structure from the floor level to
the centre of the large roofing-stone must be 13 or 14 feet, and not 20, as Ryland
surmised. The stones also of which the monument is composed should be
correctly described as felspathic dark-grey trap, rudely cleaved — ^the stone of the
district This dolmen has been rightly described as the finest in the county of
Waterford, and one of the most perfect and remarkable in Ireland. ^
Ryland's ** Hist, of Waterford," p. 263 ; £>ud/in Penny Journal for Jan. 26th, 1833 (vol. i. p.
245), with illustration ; O.S.L., Co. Waterford, -^ . P- 33 ; Paper by G. Du Noyer, Kilk. Archseol.
Joum., 1864-66, plate facing p. 479 ; '* Carte des Dolmens,*' x.v. Tramore. For estimated weight
of the cap-stone, see below, Part II. chap. I.
In the Barony of Gaultiere.
I. In the Townland of Ballindud, and Parish of Kilbarry, is
a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17, on level
ground, about two miles from Waterford, and half a mile E. of the
road from that place to Tramore. It stood in the angle of a field
within one or two hundred yards, says Ryland, of Couse-na-Keal
This is described as a fine example of a dolmen. The incumbent flagstone lies
E. and W., its eastern end having slipped off its supporters. At its eastern end,
which was touching the ground when O'Curry saw it, its measurement from N. to
•S. was 14 feet ; at its S. side from E. to W. 11 feet ; at its W. side 12 feet ; and at
its N. side 8 feet 6 ins. In the middle it measured 13 feet from N. to S., and
11 feet 6 ins. from E. to W. In thickness it is described as varying, being 3 feet
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County of Waterford. 63
thick in the middle of the E. side ; 4 feet in the middle of the S. side ; 2 feet in
the middle of the W. side ; and i foot 6 ins. in the middle of the N. side. The
supporters on the W. side, on which one end of the flag rested, were two in number ;
the one at the S.W. corner 6 feet high, 3 feet 6 ins. wide, and 2 feet thick ; the
other, which was close to it on the N., 5 feet high, 7 feet 4 ins. wide, and 2 feet
thick. Over this latter the large flag projected 2 feet 6 ins., and its extreme edge
rested on the former. The upright stone, off" which the E. end of the large flag had
slipped, stood perpendicularly, measuring 5 feet 4 ins. high, 2 feet 8 ins. wide, and
2 feet 6 ins. thick at its base. The second supporter was broken by a farmer, who
attempted to destroy the monument. 0*Cuny, who gives the copious measure-
ments just quoted, observes that those given by Ryland, who speaks of the dolmen
as " near Kilbarry," are ** very incorrect." Ryland accompanies his account by a
drawing which shows that the covering-stone, which the farmer precipitated from its
original position a short time before 1824, rested in his time, as when O'Curry
described it, upon two supporters at one end, while the other end rested on the
ground by the side of the third supporter,
Ryland, " Hist, of Waterford," p. 229, with illustration ; O.S.L., Co. Wat., ^, p. 2 ; ** Carte
des Dolmens," s,v. "Gaultiere, No i." For estimated weight of cap-stone, see below, Part II.
chap. I.
Fig. 62.— Ballindud. From RylantPs ** WaUrfordr
2. In the Townland of Ballygunner Temple, and Parish of
Ballygunner — at Mount Druid— is a dolmen marked Druid's
Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. i8.
Ryland speaks of this as " a stone pointed out as a cromlech or * Druid's Altar.' "
In his opinion it was " altogether too minute to deserve the appellation with which
it had been dignified."
Ryland, " Hist, of Waterford," p. 243.
3. In the Townland of Harristown, and Parish of Kilmacomb,
a Cromlech is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 27. This must be
the Kilmacombe dolmen of Ryland. and the Dunmore East one
"near Creadan Head," described by Mr. Reade, and called
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64
The Dolmens of Ireland.
Carrick-a-Dhirra. It lies about two miles from Dunmore, and
about the same from the point of Creadon Head.
This monument was originally sunrounded by a perfect circle of stones, of
Fig. 63. — Carrick-a-Dhirra. From a sketch accompanying Mr. Readis description,
which eleven out of the twenty-six which probably once formed the circle, according
to the plan, were still in place in 1868. The largest of them stood 3 feet 6 ins. above
,<^'--^
Ci.
Fig. 64 . — Carrick-a-Dhirra. — Ground-plan,
ground. The direction of the chamber which the circle surrounded was K and W.,
and it measured 19 feet 2 ins. long by 7 feet 6 ins. broad. There were seven stones
on either side, and each end was closed by a single block. The roof consisted of
five covering-slabs. The chamber was rifled by treasure-seekers.
Paper by Rev. George Reade, with elevation and plan, in Trans. Kilk. Archaeol. Soc,
3rd ser. vol. i. (1868), p. 160; Compare Ryland, "Hist, ot Waterford," p. 243.
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( 65 )
COUNTY OF CLARE.
In the Barony: of Burren.
1. In the Townland of Craggagh, and Parish of Killonaghan,
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4. The site, which locally
bears the name Leaba Dhiarmada agus Ghrainn^, is that of a
massive rock in situ under which some side-stones have been
seemingly inserted.
It is a partly artificial cave rather than a dolmen (Note-book, W. C. B.).
2. In the Townland of Faunarooska and Parish of Rathborney,
near St. John's Well, is a dolmen marked Dermot and Granias
Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5. It is E.N.E. of Slieve Elva.
3. In the Townland of Cooleamore, and Parish of Killeany, is
a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 5. It is E.S.E. of the summit of Slieve Elva. It is
mentioned by O' Donovan.
O.S.L., g^, p. 222.
4. In the Townland of Ballycahill, and Parish of Drum-
creehy, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5.
5. In the Townland of Ballymihil, and Parish of Kilcorney,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5.
6. 7. In the Townland of Cragballyconoal, and Parish of
Oughtmama, are two dolmens, each marked Cromlech in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 5. The southern one is close to a fort with cave.
Mr. Westropp in his list gives three, but I only find two in the map. A dolmen
at this place is mentioned by O'Donovan.
Proc. Roy. Soc. of Ant. of Ireland, 1894, p. 288 ; O.S.L., ~~^ p. 92.
B. 23
8. In the Townland of Berneens, and Parish of Rathborney,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5. It is
close to the road on the left-hand side going from Ballyvaghan
towards Corrofin, on the summit of the crag above Ballyallaban.
VOL. I. F
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
This dolmen lies E.N.E. and W.S.W. The roofing-stone measures lo
feet II ins. long, and 7 feet 6 ins. broad. The sides are respectively 11 feet 5 ins.
Fig. 65.— Berneens. From a sketch by the Author,
and II feet long, and 4 feet 6
ms.
Plan by the Author,
Scale I inch = i foot.
high. The W.aW. end of the vault
measures on the inside 4 feet 5 ins.
broad. The terminal stone measures
3 feet long and 4 feet 3 ins. high, an
aperture being left i foot 5 ins. broad.
At this end the roofing-stone overlaps
I foot, so as, with the side-stones, to
form a small porch. The opposite
end of the vault measures 3 feet 2 ins.
wide. The roofing-stone is 8^ inches
thick. The remains of a cairn sur-
round the monument I measured
and sketched this structure in 1895.
It is the "Berneens" monument in
Mr. Westropp's list, " Proc. Roy. Soc Ant Ireland," 1894, p. 288 ; Notebook,
W. C. B.
9. In the Townland of Ballyvaghan, and Parish of Drum-
creehy, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 2.
10. In the Townland of Poulaphuca, and Parish of Ought-
mama, is a dolmen marked DruitTs Altar in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 6. It lies a short distance E. of the southern of the two at
Cragballyconoal.
11. In the Townland of Rannagh East, and Parish of Carran,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 6.
12. 13. In the Townland of Ballyganner South, and Parish of
Noughaval, are two dolmens, each marked Cromlech in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 9. The southern of the two is the large one
seen from the road from Kilfenora to Corrofin on* the summit
of the hill near Ballyganner Castle. In the Ord. Surv. Letters
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County of Clare.
67
it is called Leaba Dhiarmada agus GhrainL The second and
northern one lies to the N.E. on the further side of a craggy
valley. This latter lies E. of that in Ballyganner North.
Fig. 67. — Ballyganner South. From a sketch by the Author,
The southernmost of these Dolmens is the finest and most typical of the
dolmens of the Burren, and, as seen from the road below, has all the appearance
of a house, of far better proportions, indeed, than the large majority of shanties
in the vicinity. It is constructed of magnificent slabs of limestone, and bears a
remarkable likeness to examples in the Caucasus and the Dekhan.
Fig. 68. — Plan of Ballyganner South. By the Author, Scale | inch = i foot.
The centre line of its longer axis is, as is almost universally the case with the
dolmens in this vicinity, E. and W. The measiirements of the slabs which
compose it are as follows : —
Leni[th.
Height.
ft. ins.
ft. ins.
A = 18
4 6
B = 19
6
C= 8
5
D= 6 4
3 8
Thickness.
ft. ins.
I O
O 10
o 9
o 8
There were two cap-stones, that which covered and overlapped the W. end
being the larger, and raised to a higher level than the other. This larger one
(E.E.E.) had been split in two in the centre firom W. to E., and a piece broken out
of it on the E. side lay in the vault below. When perfect, this cap-stone measured
14 feet along its W. edge, 8 feet along its S. edge, 10 feet along its N. edge, and
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68 The Dolmens of Ireland.
about 12 feet along its £. edge. It was about i foot to i foot 6 ins. thick. At
its N.W. comer it overlapped not only the tenninal stone of the vault, but the
end of the N. side-stone, which latter extended 2 feet beyond the W. side of the
terminal stone. Between the N. edge of the latter and the face of the side-stone a
narrow space or entrance 2 feet wide had been left The S.W. corner of the cap-
stone also overlapped the terminal stone, but not so far as to cover the end of the
S. side-stone, which latter extended 3 feet 6 ins. beyond the face of the terminal
stone. The result of these details of construction was that a portico with protruding
roof was formed at the W. end of the monument.
The second cap-stone, which, singularly enough, lay with its longer axis
extended along the floor of the vault, measured 11 feet long from E. to W., 6 feet
2 ins. broad at the W. end, and about 6 feet 6 ins. at the E. end. A stone (H)
5 feet 6 ins. high, and the same in length, rested against the inner face of B. The
dimensions of the vault were 6 feet 10 ins. broad at the E. end, 10 feet broad at
the W. end, and 14 feet long.
A flat slab (G) which possibly, together with H, had formed portions of the E.
cap-stone, lay at the S.E. comer of the structure. It measured 6 feet 6 ins. long,
5 feet 6 ins. broad, and 10 inches thick.
At the E. end the two side-slabs A and B protruded 6 and 7 inches respectively
beyond the outer face of the terminal slab. There was no sign of an entrance to
the vault at this end, but in the side-stone A, at a distance of 5 feet from the K
end, there was a diagonal hole right through the stone, as shown in the plan, which
may well have been natural, although on the inner side I fancy it presents the
appearance of having been artificially enlarged. In the surface of both cap-stones
were curious ducts, and near the N.E. corner of F were six cup-hollows, forming a
semicircle from N.E. to S.W., with three others in line, and various others worked
into the surface. Considering the extraordinary manner in which the limestone of
the Burren has been scooped out and fissured by natural causes, I cannot pronounce
these artificial, but when it is remembered how often artificial cups and basins have
been found on the covering-stones of dolmens, and how frequently rocks have been
selected which bear on their surface natural hollows and other peculiarities, I am
inclined to think that in the selection of this stone, the constructors had regard
to the presence of such formations, even supposing them to be all purely natural,
of which I am by no means certain. Whether natural or artificial, we may certainly
compare these cups with those on the Anta de Paredes, near Evora in PortugaLf
The wonderful symmetry of this dolmen is due, as in the case of others which
occur in districts where (as in the Dekhan) limestone lies on the surface in lamina,
to the natural dressing of the material The plan, as will be seen at a glance, is
identical with that aimed at by the builders of these stmctures in districts where
more rugged material such as granite, occurring not in slabs, but blocks, had to
be employed. It would have taken, for example, three or four blocks of granite,
such as those obtainable in most granite districts, to have formed the side of a
dolmen such as this, where a single slab of limestone is suflicient The idea,
however, which had to be carried out was the same. The vault must expand from
E. to W. j it must be higher at the latter than the former end, and at the W. end
there must be a porch or antechamber, with means of access to the chamber within.
There must, in short, be the anta and the ceHa as distinctly marked, and as
essential . to the whole structure as were the parts of the Roman temple which
respectively bore these names.
. . . t ** Ages Pr^historiques TEspagne," by M. E. Cartailhac, fig. 255.
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County of Clare.
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With regard to the slabs, I was repeatedly informed by intelligent farmers in the
Barren that it is a matter of astonishment to them how they could have been
detached from their limestone beds in such size and perfection. Nature, it is true,
has detached flags from the superficial strata in tens of thousands, and one cannot
walk ten yards over some portions of the crag without disturbing their equilibrium,
but blocks of the size and symmetry of those used by the dolmen builders would
nowadays be far to seek. On the N. side of the monument are some stones
which may have formed part of a peristyle close to the side-stones, as in the
case of so many dolmens in Cork and elsewhere. This dolmen has been described
in the Ord. Surv. Letters for the Co. of Clare, ,/^ , p. 201 : Note-book, W. C. B.
' B. 23' *^ '
14. In the Townland of Ballyganner North, and Parish of
Noughaval, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 9.
This is mentioned in the Ord. Surv. Letters, Co. Clare, as " equally perfect and
remarkable " with those at Ballyganner South, and the Deerpark.
O.S.L.,
14
B. 23
, p. 201.
15. In the Townland of (?) Kiltennan, and Parish of Nou-
Fig. 69.— Ballykinvarga. From a sketch by Mr. T, /. Westropp,
ghaval, " behind Ballyshanny House, by the road from Kilfenora
to Noughaval," is a dolmen not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No.
9, but observed by Mr. Westropp.
It is at Ballykinvarga, N. of the
caher or stone fort of that name.
IE.
J
Fig. 70.— Ballykinvarga. Plan by Mr. T,J.
Westropp. Scale i inch = i foot.
For the drawing and plan of this dol-
men I am indebted to the kindness of Mr.
T. J. Westropp. The interior is filled
with rubbish. It lies E. and W., the terminal stone at the E. end having fallen.
The dimensions of the stones are as follows : —
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
Length.
ft. ins.
A= 12 8
B= 5 8
C = 12 6 to 13
D= 4
Height.
Thickness.
ft. in.
ins.
4 4 to 2
9
10 to 12
3 6
8
^ 3 .
9
7 (remaining dimensions uncertain, as it is nearly covered).
In the sketch one of the c<i?iers or stone forts common in this vicinity is shown in
the distance.
16. In the Townland of Deerpark (Lemeneagh), and Parish
Fig. 71.— Deerpark. From a sketch by Mr, T, J, Westropp,
of Noughaval, S. of Lake Aleenaun, is a dolmen marked Cromlech
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9.
For the following notes on this monument, which I saw, but was prevented by
darkness from planning, I am indebted to Mr. Westropp. It presents many points
in common with those at Bally-
ganncr South and Cloneen
{vile infra).
With regard to the points
of the compass, the long side-
stone C points E.S.E. and
W.N.W. Mr. Westropp adds
that, "on October i6th, 1895,
at 5.15 p.m., the sun illumi-
nated all the interior, even
the roof, as it was half visible,
setting over the hill."
In this instance there is no
but there is a distinctly porch-like
arrangement at the narrower and
eastern end, the side-stones extend-
ing beyond the face of the terminal
stone I foot 4 ins., and 2 feet 9 ins.
respectively, and the cap-stone no
less than 3 feet 7 ins. The terminal
stone (D) itself, which Mr. Wes-
tropp, perhaps rightly, terms the
" partition stone," that is, if we may
regard the slab F as the end of the
monument, exhibits two openings.
Fig.
72.— Deerpark. Plan by Mr, T,J, Westropp
Scale \ inch = i foot.
slab close by the broader and western end.
Fig.
73.— East end of the Deerpark dolmen.
Elevation by Mr, T,J. Westropp,
one "8 inches clear scooped out at the N. edge, and one at the top corner of
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County of Clare. 71
the S..edge 16 inches each way." In respect of these apertures, the stone may be
compared to the terminal stone of a dolmen in the Hautes Pyrenees.!
The vault or cell of the Deerpark dolmen measures 4 feet 10 ins. wide at the £.
end, and 6 feet 10 ins. at the W. end. The smaller covering-slab (A) measures
8 feet 2 ins. long, 5 feet 3 ins. broad, and 6 inches thick, but has fallen. The
larger one (E) measures 13 feet in greatest length, 10 feet 3 ins. along the W. edge,
and 9 feet across the middle. It is 9 inches thick, and is in place. The slab (B)
on the N. side is 12 feet long, 4 feet 6 ins. high at the W. end, and 3 feet 3 ins.
at the K end, with a thickness of i foot The slab (C) at the S. side is 13 feet
8 ins. long, 3 feet 7 ins. high at the W. end, and 4 feet 3 ins. at the £• end. It is
13 inches thick. The stone D, in which are the openings, is 4 feet 10 ins. long,
and 3 feet 6 ins. high.
On the £. side of the structure are traces of a slight mound, and at the W.
comer are loose blocks and a wall. Outside the side-stone C are three stones^ two
upright and one fallen, which probably formed part of a peristyle about i foot
from the side of the dolmen.
This monument has been previously described in the Ord. Surv. Letters for
the County of Clare.
Of the limestone portions of the Burren which O'Donovan described as
'' a formidable territory," it is usual to say that '' there is not clay enough to
bury a man," and the notion obtains, as was mentioned to me by Mr. Frost, a
gentleman thoroughly acquainted with the antiquities of the County of Clare
upon the history of which he has written, that it is upon this account that stone
tombs, that is to say, these dolmens were erected on the surface, the bodies of the
dead being placed in them, and covered over with the stones with which their
interiors are found to be filled. Skeletons have been found in them — a fact which
is held to justify the view that the structures were raised in lieu of subterranean
vaults or graves, the surface of the rock being found too hard for excavation. The
bodies found in them are unburnt, and lie on the floor of the vault With the
great size of the side-stones we may compare that of those of a dolmen exhumed
from its tumulus by Mr. R. C. Walker, in the County of Sligo, where a side-stone
measured 16 feet long.^
Button's statement, in his ** Survey of the County of Clare," § that a " cromlech
at Ballyganner measured about 40 feet long and 10 feet broad, of one stone," is an
exaggeration.
MS. Letter from Mr. Westropp; O.S.L., Co. Clare, g^, p. 201.
17, 18, 19. In the Townland of Fanygalvan, and Parish of
Carran, N. of Lake Aleenaun, are three Cromlechs in line, so
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9. S. of them are rocks called
FarbregUy and near them a dalldn, or pillar-stone.
20. In the Townland of Moheramoylan, and Parish of Carran,
N. of Fanygalvan, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 9.
t "Mat. pour THist. de rHomme," 1881, pi. xviii.
: See SirW. Wilde, "The B9>'ne and the Blackwater," p. 234.
§ p. 317.
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72
The Dolmens of Ireland.
21, 22. In the Townland of Poulnabrone, and Parish of
Kilcorney, N. of Moheramoylan, and S.W. of Cragballyconoal,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9.
Mr. Westropp has given me a sketch of a dolmen in this Townland, in which,
as I learn from him, there are two. The drawing shows a structure upon a mound.
One large roofing-flag is in place, supported on one side by one, on the other by
two flags on edge in the manner of that at Cloneen.
23. In the Townland of Cappaghkennedy, and Parish of
Carran, on the top of a hill one mile E. of Castletown, and three
Fig. 74. — Cappaghkennedy. Froni a sketch by the Author.
quarters of a mile N.E. of the Slievenaglasha one {infra), is a
dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 10.
The name given locally to this dolmen is " Labba-na-leagh." A neighbouring
Townland is called Lackaleagh by the natives, but is properly spelt Lackareagh.
Fig. 75. — Cappaghkennedy. Plan by the Author, Scale { inch = i foot.
This is one of the most interesting dolmens of the Clare series, and belongs to
the Glasgeivneagh or Slievenaglasha group in the Barony Inchiquin. It is
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County of Clare. 73
apparently little known. The greater axis is approximately £. and W. It was
covered by two roofing-stones of which the K one has fallen from its horizontal
position. The latter measures 10 feet long (from E. to W.) by 9 feet broad; the
other 10 feet 8 ms. broad (from N. to &) by 7 feet from E. to W. The side flag
on the S. measures 10 feet 6 ins. long, that on the N. 12 feet The W. end of this
dolmen is, in point of construction, diflferent to any other in the district, since the
terminal stone does not lie between the side-stones, but crosses the extremity of the
N. one.t On the S. side, however, the side-stone extends i foot 10 ins. beyond
the front line of the terminal ; and opposite to this, so as to form the N. side of the
porch, a supplementary flag has been projected in line with the N. side-stone, and
at right angles to the terminal stone, to a distance of 5 feet. There is an entrance
2 feet wide into the interior of the dolmen between the S. side-stone and the edge
of the terminal.
The vault or cell measures 7 feet broad at its W. end, and 5 feet 6 ins. at the
E. end of the S. side-stone. Just outside the entrance lay a stone about 18 inches
long, into the smooth surface of which five artificial cups had been sunk, varying
from I to 2 inches in diameter, and shallow. Both on the N. and S. sides of the
structure there were traces of a peristyle at a distance of about i foot 8 ins. from the
side-stones. An egg-shaped range of smaller stones appeared also to have formed
an outer enceinte. Of this about seventeen stones could be counted, and others were
buried in the ground, which was slightly raised. The pointed end of the ovate
enclosure is to the E. The roofing-stone is thin, and upon it lay some stones and
earth, the dibris probably of a shallow cairn which may have covered it
Note-book, W. C. B.
In the Barony of Inchiquin.
I, 2, 3. In the Townland of Tullycommon, and Parish of
KilHnaboy, are three dolmens. That to v
the S. W. is marked Giant's Grave in Ord. r'"-""\ / -
Surv. Map No. 10; that to the N.E. is ^--^f-^^^IZ:::;
marked Dermot and Granids Bed in the ) / ; L_ID
same map, and is near Knockaun Fort ; | \\ ■
the third, not marked on the map, lies L^-^X^j X/
between the latter and the one at Slieve- fig. 76.— Tullycommon. Plan by
naglasha to the S.E. ; it is almost de- the Author.
molished, and was a small one. I was informed that the one
near Knockaun Fort was called Carrickaglasha.
The one of which I took a plan is the second of these. It is somewhat smaller
than those just described. The main axis is W.N.W. by E.S.K The longer side-
stone measures from 9 to 10 feet long, and the shorter one 8 feet 8 ins. The
terminal stone at the E. end measures 4 feet 8 ins. long. The W. end is open, and
measures internally 4 feet wide, the E. end narrowing to 2 feet 6 ins. The two
cap-stones are not remarkable for size.
Note-book, W. C. B.
t This is noticeable in a dolmen in the Hautes Pyrenees referred to above, see p. 7i<
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74 The Dolmens of Ireland.
4. In the Townland of Slievenaglasha, and Parish of Killina-
boy, N. of Glasgeivnagh Hill — one mile S.E. of Castletown — is
a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 10. In walking from this to
the Cappaghkennedy dolmen [see
Bar. Burren No. 22], I crossed a
verj^ fine circular stone fort called
•* Knockaun Fort," containing one
or more souterrains. The three
dolmens in Tullycommon, to-
FiG. 77.— Slievenaglasha. Plan by the gether with those of Slievena-
AtUhor, Scale \ inch = i foot. °- - - _ , , i r
glasha and Cappaghkennedy, form
what may be termed the Castletown group. They lie about
two miles N.E. of the Leana group.
This is probably the ** Darby and Grants Bed," which Dutton \ says is at
Tullyglashin. I was informed by several of the inhabitants of Castletown that this
had been the largest and most perfect of all the dolmens on this range of hills, until
an idiot set fii^e to a large quantity of peat which had been stored in it, and the heat
being intense, and the slabs limestone, the two covering-stones were split into
fragments, which now fill up the interior, and the northern side-stone was cracked
in two.
I do not think it improbable that most of those limestone dolmens which we
find in this county with their roof- and side-stones cracked or broken up owe their
destruction to the medium of heat, whether accidentally or purposely applied.
Instances may be quoted, both in Ireland and elsewhere in Western Europe,
where the spring or midsummer fires were lighted at or on a dolmen.
For example, at Tawnatruf&n in Sligo, the young lads of the neighbourhood
were in the habit of lighting fires upon one of the dolmens, there cadled locally
** Griddles," on the 23rd of June, St John's Eve, and to this practice the fractured
state of the covering-stone was attributed. (See Wood-Martin, ILS.M., p. 220.)
Again, traces of fire about the dolmen of Eguilaz, in Alava, are attributed by Don
Pedro Andre's Zabala (in the Transactions of the Acad, de San Fernando, 1833),
^' to the bonfires which the Celts used to light on the last day of April on the tombs
in honour of the dead." (See " Espaiia sus monumentos y artes," Barcelona, Prov.
Vasa 1885, p. 51.)
The N. side-stone of this monument measiu-es 15 feet long, i foot thick, and
4 feet 10 ins. high ; the S. one 11 feet long, 9 inches thick, and the same height
as the other. The interior, at the W. end, is 5 feet 6 ins., and the E. end 4 feet
6 ins. wide. A wall and cow-house have been built against it at the narrower
extremity. The whole structure appears to have been built on a cairn, the slope
of which is still steep at the W. end.
O.S.L., Co. of Clare, ~-, pp. 68, et seqq, ; Nole-book, W. C. B.
5, 6, 7, 8. In the Townland of Leana, or Leanna, and Parish of
t " Survey of the Co. of Clare," p. 317.
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County of Clare.
75
Killinaboy, are, or were (according to Ord. Surv. Maps lo and 17),
four dolmens, i.e. three (each of which is marked Cromlech in
Map No. 17), and one marked Dermot and Granids Bed, N. of
the rest, in Map No, 10. Besides these, on the top of the hill,
is a perfect cairn, marked also in Map 17. All the above are
Fig. 78. — Leanna (a) . Plan by the A uihor.
Scale \ inch = i foot.
u
Fig. 79.--Leanna {b). Plan by the
Author, Showing position of hole in
side-stone. Scale \ inch = i foot.
on the right of the road leading N. towards Castletown. I
found traces of two of those marked "Cromlechs": one (a
small one) in ruins in a cairn, and the other also ruined. Of the
Dermot and Crania's Bed only two stones remain — apparently
the side stones — the one upright, and having a hole in it, as is the
case at the dolmen at Ballyganner South ; the other prostrate.
Of the ones marked Cromlech in the map, I planned a small but very typical
example (A), stUl three parts in a caira. The long axis of the vault is N.E. and
S.W. It is wedge-shaped, as usual, and the side-stones are respectively 8 feet and 5
feet long. The broad end is 4 feet 6 ins., and the narrow end 2 feet 8 ins. wide.
The terminal flag at the broad end is 5 feet long, and that at the narrow end 4 feet
8 inches. The roof-slab has fallen in. It measures 8 feet long by 5 feet broad.
Of the dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed (B) only two stones remain at
a distance of about 6 feet apart One, which was probably a side-stone, is prostrate,
and measures 8 feet long by 5 feet 6 ins. broad. The other is upright on edge,
pointing S.W. and N.E. It is 10 feet long, 3 feet 6 ins. high, and from 6 to 8
inches thick. Near the N.E. end, 9 inches from the top, is a round hole, 3 inches
in diameter at widest, which, although it may be natural, appeared, on careful
examination, to have been made more symmetrical by the hand of man. This
characteristic finds its counterpart at Ballyganner South, and may be compared
with a Syrian example of a hole in the side-stout of a dolmen given by M. Chantre,
an illustration of which will be given.
There seemed to have been a winding stone causeway leading across the moor
to this structure.
This group of dolmens at Leanna is that which O'Curry, in the Ord. Survey
Letters, places in a Townland which he calls Reabhachan, which I cannot find
in the map, although it is in the Parish of Killinaboy. He speaks of four dolmens.
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76 The Dolmens of Ireland.
one of which is covered by a cairn : " Three of these are in the same field.
One of them is prostrate. Of the other two, that on the N. is composed of
four flagstones— two at the sides, one at the E. end, and one as the cover. The
W. end is open, a circumstance which, it may be noted, is often the case. Of
the side-stones, that on the S. is 7 feet 6 ins. long, 3 feet 6 ins. high, and 6
inches thick ; that on the N. is 10 feet 6 ins. long, 4 feet 6 ins. high, and
6 inches thick; that at the E. end is 4 feet long, 4 feet 6 inches high,
and 7 inches thict The covering-stone is broken, and in part fallen in—
the portion remaining measuring 8 feet 6 ins. long, 5 feet 6 ins. broad, and
11 inches thick. A little to the & of this monument is the third— a perfect
one, composed of five flags. That on the S. is 14 feet long, 3 feet 9 ins. high, and
8 inches thick ; that on the N. is 15 feet long, and of the same height and thickness
as the other. The end one is 4 feet long, 3 feet 9 ins. high, and 9 inches thick.
The fourth dolmen, which is in the centre of a cairn, and which has been opened,
consists, like the last, of top, sides, and E. end flag. The cairn in which it is is on
the same townland, on the road to Newquay, and measures 44 paces in circum-
ference, and about 8 feet in height."
O.S.L., Co. Clare g^^. p. 66 ; Note-book, W. C. B.
9. In the Townland of Commons North, and Parish of Kil-
^ linaboy, is a dolmen marked Cront-
lech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17, now
J used as a cow-house. It is on the left
> of the road leading N. to Castletown.
'- In the Ord. Surv. Letters, Co. Clare, O'Curry
/ ( \ ,/ ' J speaks of this as " a fine megalithic chamber,
^-- L. ■■^ of the same kind as those at Reabhachan " (just
. — ^^ 23:::> noticed). He calls the place Coteen. "It is,"
^ "- he says, ** composed of four flags, and measures
Fig. 80.— Commons North. Plan by the ,, r. , ^^ ^ -. . « . ^ .,^ „^, , ^^ .
Author. Scale i inch = I foot. " ^^^^ l^'^fe S ^et 8 ms. Wide, and 6 feet
high. . . ." " When the Ordnance Survey was
in progress, it was being used as a bed-chamber to a hut attached, inhabited by a
poor man of the name of Michael Coneen. Dutton also mentions a dolmen on
the " commons " of Killinaboy, which is probably the same.
My own measurements difiered but little from O'Curry's. The vault lies
N.£. and S.W. The longer side-stone measured 13 feet long and i foot thick.
It projected 2 feet 6 ins. beyond the terminal stone at the N.K end. The shorter
side-stone measured 10 feet long, and projected i foot i in. beyond the terminal-
stone. The latter was 4 feet long. The width of the vault was 4 feet 6 ins. at the
N.£. end, and 5 feet 6 ins. at the S.W. end, where it was open. The height in the
interior was 5 feet 6 ins. The covering-stone was cracked across. It measured
12 feet 8 ins. long, and 8 feet 6 ins. broad, and there were deep channels in
its upper surface. Two long stones, placed in line, at a distance of from 2 feet
to 2 feet 4 ins. from the S.E. side-stone, were all that remained of a peristyle.
They were respectively 4 feet 10 ins. and 4 feet 6 ins. in length.
O.S.L., Co. Clare, ^^, p. 67.
is. 23
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County of Clare.
n
ID, II. In the Townland of Parknabinnia, and Parish of Kil-
linaboy, are two dolmens : the one marked Cairn in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 1 7, but now uncovered, close to the road, on the left,
Fig. 8 1. —Parknabinnia. SJ^gtcA by the Author,
leading north to Castletown ; the other marked Giant's Grave
to the S.W. of it, and near a Cave (so marked in Map 17).
The above seven dolmens (5-1 1) may be called the Leana
group.
The first of these is a very perfect and interesting example, having only recently
been denuded of its caira, a large portion of which still remains on its northern side,
and some of which still surmounts the roofing-stone. It lies E.N.E. and W.S.W.
The longer of the two side-slabs
measures 15 feet in length, and f^^ -4-. ^ J % ^ '\\
about 9 inches in thickness. The f /I' .^,,„ /'^ -')' , ^''-^i
opposite one is 12 feet 1 in. long, • "" "* ' '^ -
and the same thickness. At the
E.N.E. end they project slightly
beyond the terminal-stone, which
latter is 4 feet long and 3 feet
10 ins. high. The vault at this
end is 4 feet 5 ins. wide, and at
the other end 5 feet 6 ins. wide,
having a length of 9 feet 9 ins.
The arrangement at the W.S.W.
end is peculiar. The side-flag to
the N. projects 2 feet 6 ins. beyond the line of the outer face of the terminal-stone,
as also does the opposite one. The terminal- stone is 3 feet 9 ins. long, leaving an
entrance gap between its edge and the S. side-stone 18 inches broad. Another slab,
however, 3 feet broad, is set up outside this entrance, with its edge against the
S. side-flag, in such a manner as that, in order to enter the vault, one has to
go round it The greatest width beneath the ends of the side-flags is 5 feet 9 ins.
The covering-stone does not considerably overlap the porch thus formed, but it has
the appearance of having been broken off" at the edge. It overlaps, however,
the N. side-flag as much as 2 feet 6 ins., and in the centre of the side-flag, at
Fig. 82. — Parknabinnia. Plan by the Author,
Scale \ inch = i foot.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
the top, is a sort of gully, large enough to admit the hand, and which may have
served the same purpose as the hole in other structures, perhaps for the intro-
duction of offerings. The cap-stone, which I think was once larger, measures
13 feet in greatest length, by 10 feet in greatest breadth. The cairn surrounding
the dolmen must have been about 50 feet in diameter.
Note book, W. C. B.
12. In the Townland of Ballycasheen, and Parish of Killina-
boy, is a dismantled dolmen, marked Dermot and Grania's Bed
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 16.
This must be the monument spoken of by Dutton as at Ballykisshen. He
says it was "a very remarkable cromlech, and very capacious, covered formerly
with two large flags, 12 or 14
feet long each. They were nearly
shaped like the lid of a coffin,
and were placed head to head.
One of them remained, but the
other had been thrown down."
I found that it lay in a valley
not far from Lemeneagh Casde,
and near Ballycasheen House.
It has been more completely
ruined since Dutton heard of it.
It lies R and W. One cap-stone
broken in two, measuring 8 feet
by 8 feet 4 ins., lies tilted up
against the W. terminal stone,
while a portion of another occu-
pies the greater part of the in-
terior of the vault Two other
Fig. 83.— Ballycasheen. Plan by the Author,
Scale \ inch = I foot.
large flat stones lie outside the structure on the S. In this instance it appears
that the usual arrangement is reversed, the £. end, where the porch seems to have
been, being broader (6 feet 8 ins.) than the W. end (5 feet). The vault is about
8 feet long. Two thin side-slabs are in place on the S. side, and four on the N.
There seemed to have been a mound about it, but I am not satisfied that the
whole structure has not been so overhauled as to render a ground-plan valueless.
Dutton, "Survey of Clare," p. 317 ; Note-book, W. C. B.
13, 14. In the Townland of Gortlecka, and Parish of Killina-
boy — close to Ashfield — were two dolmens each marked Cromlech
in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos, 10 and 17.
15. In the Townland of Dromore, and Parish of Ruan, a
dolmen was observed by Mr. Westropp, not marked in the Ord.
Surv. Maps Nos. 17, 18, 25, 26, which contain this Townland.
16. In the Townland of Bally ogan, and Parish of Ruan, is
a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 26.
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County of Clare.
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17. In the Townland of Knockalassa, and Parish of Inagh,
on the left-hand side of the road, at the top of the divide on
Slieve Callan, as you pass from Milltown Malbay to Ennis, is
a dolmen marked Dermot and Grantas Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No, 31.
The name of this Townland is repeated in the Counties of Waterford, Sligo, and
Mayo. The latter portion seems identical with Glasha, or Glaise, pointing to the
presence of the story of the famous cow, for which see the part of this work devoted
to legends and folk-lore.
This dolmen is mentioned in a paper by Theophilus O'Flanagan in the Trans.
R.I.A. (1786), in which he calls it a " Druid Altar." He refers to an unpublished
romance containing an account of the antiquities of the western part of the County
of Clare, by Mr. Comyn, who lived near Mount Callan, and had stated that
this monument was dedicated to the Sun, and that the natives in heathen times
..v:|^fc^^
Fig. 84.— Knockalassa (Slieve Callan). J^rom a sketch by the Author,
assembled there on the ist of May in every year, when they held an annual festival
to oflfer sacrifice to that deity. Dutton calls this dolmen Altoir-na-Greink. A native
of Miltown Milbay informed me, in 1895, that young people still resort to the
summit of Slieve Callan to dance on (so I understood him) Midsummer Eve,,
although the custom is going out, owing to the priests setting their face against it
Sir Samuel Ferguson speaks of it as a '^ remarkable trilithon cromleagh
known by the name of Leaba Dhiarmada as Grainnfe." The R.I.A. possesses
a drawing of it.
It is the most symmetrical dolmen I have ever seen, and the slabs of which
it is composed, bearing in their surfaces natural
grooves incident to the limestone formation, and being
remarkably well squared, also by nature, present at
first sight the appearance of having been both dressed
and sculptured by the hand of man. Its central long
axis points W.N.W. and E.S.E. The two side-
slabs are neither parallel nor of equal length. The
W.N.W, end is the broadest, measuring 5 feet 9 ins.,
while the other end measures 5 feet. The shorter
side-stone, on the S., is 7 feet long, and i foot thick ;
the longer one, on the N., 10 feet 6 ins. long, and
the same in thickness as the other. The roofing-stone measures 10 feet in greatest
length, and 7 feet 6 ins. broad. It would be an almost perfect oblong were it
c
J
Fig. 85. — Knockalassa. Flan
by the Author* Scale } inch
= I foot.
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8o The Dolmens of Ireland.
not that there is a gap in the S.W. corner. At the E. end it does not reach the
end of the side-slab by i8 inches, but at the W. end it overlaps it about a foot.
This roofing-slab is lo inches thick. The height of the side-stones is 3 feet
4 ins., but it may be a very little more, as the interior was Ml of water when
I planned and drew it
Trans. R.LA., 1786, "Antiquities," p. 7 : Proc. R.LA., 2nd Sen, vol. i. pp. 166 and 315 ;
Note-book, W. C. B.
In the Barony of Corcomroe.
1. In the Townland of Cahermacrusheen, and Parish of Kil-
lilagh, is a dolmen, now fallen, marked Dermot and Granids Bed
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 8. It is near Glashamore, inland from
the point Lackglass, and in proximity to three forts named
Cahermaclanchy, Glasha Fort, and Caherglasha.
This is a dolmen which has suffered complete collapse only within the last few
years. It seems to have lain £. and W., and to have been partly enveloped in a
cairn. Two slabs, each 10 feet long, and each broken in the centre, lie side by side.
They probably formed the sides of a vault about 4 feet high. A third slab, 10
feet long, by from 8 feet 2 ins. to 6 feet broad, and 7 inches thick resting on
the N. one, was the roofing-stone, while two stones 4 or 5 feet wide lying at
each end under the others may have been the terminal stones.
2. In the Townland of Cloneen, and Parish of Kilfenora, due
E. of the dolmen at Ballyganner South, on the crag, is a
Fig. 86.— Cloneen. Sketch by the Author,
dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 9. It may be considered as one of the Ballyganner group.
[See Bar. of Burren, Nos 12, 13, 14.]
This is a monument very similar to that at Ballyganner South. As seen from a
distance, it has exactly the appearance of a wooden shed, with the jambs of the door
leaning inwards as they rise, and the flat roof-slab projecting (like the seat of a
milking-stool) beyond their upper edges on either side — a feature in which these
Clare dolmens resemble those of Portugal.
The roof, which is in two portions, measures 15 feet 2 ins. long, 8 feet 3 ins.
broad, and 9 inches thick. The N. side of the structure is much broken. It
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County of Clare. 8i
consists at present of three stones, and other broken ones lie within the area of the
vault There are traces on this side of a peristyle at a distance of 3 feet 3 ins.
from the W. end, and 2 feet 3 ins. from the E. end of the dolmen. The vault
measures internally 5 feet 6 ins.
broad at the W. end, narrowing to i.
3 feet 3 ins. or less at the E. end. ^"^--^^^l!!:;;:^-^
It is about 14 feet long. The ^^^^^^^^^§^^^^^^^>!.
single stone which forms the S. /"""^^ — v.. /.., ^
side is 15 feet 2 ins. long, 4 feet 1 ^^--^^^^^^S^^C^ / Clii:^;^""---^^^ ..--^P
7 ins. high, and from i foot to j y ' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
9 ins. thick. The covering-stone i I v^
overlaps the W. end, but there is | \ /
no terminal stone now in place. 1 — -■ i\ ^J ^
Of the three stones which form the \ t — — jK^., '
outer line or peristyle on the N. '*•- "
^\Aa. fl»« w ^r*^ ;« . ik^«. /c ;•*« ^^®- 87.— Cloneen. Plan by the Author.
side, the W. one is 4 feet 6 ins. gcale 1 inch = i foot
long; and about the same height,
while the two at the E. end diminish to i foot 6 ins. high. In a stone at the N.E.
comer of the vault a hole the size of a finger, and measuring \\ inches deep, has
been bored as if to receive a bolt, a circumstance which induces me to think that
this dolmen has at some time been overhauled to form a calves' house, or possibly
a human habitation. It stands on, or rather in^ a low mound of stones.
In the Townland of Shallee, and Parish of Kilnamona, is
a place called Leaba-na-glaise. Here may have been a dolmen.
In some MS. "Notes," lent to me by Miss M. Stokes, reference
is made to " human remains, a skull much shattered, and leg bones
having been found here."
Dutton, speaking of the dolmens in Clare generally, says : —
"Certainly many of these cromlechs were used as places of
sepulture, because bones have been frequently dug up under
them."
In the Barony of Bunratty Upper.
1. In the Townland of Kilvoydan South, and Parish of Inchi-
cronan, is a dolmen marked Gianfs Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 26.
2. In the Townland of Caheraphuca, and Parish of Inchicronan,
by the side of the road from Ennis to Crusheen, and very near
the latter, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 26. I am enabled, owing to his kindness, to append a sketch of
this dolmen from the pencil of Mr. T. J. Westropp (see next page).
3. In the Townland of Ballymaconna, in the Parish of Kil-
raghtis, is a dolmen marked Dennot and Granids Bed in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 26.
VOL. I. G
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
4, 5. In the Townland of Clooney, and Parish of Clooney,^are
two dolmens, each marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 34.
Fig. 88.— Caheraphuca. Sketch by Mr, T.J, Westropp.
Of these Mr. Westropp has kindly sent me plans and a sketch. The eastern one
is much more imperfect than the other. Eight stones form a rude circle with a
fallen one, 5 feet 6 ins. long within the area. Two fallen stones of the circle
measure respectively 12 feet 6 ins. by 8 feet by 2 feet to 8 ins. thick; and 9 feet
3 ins. by 6 feet 6 ins. by 2 feet 6 ins. to 11 ins. thick. Five other upright stones
are about 3 feet 6 ins. to 3 feet high. On the whole, I think this monument was
perhaps a circle and not a dolmen.
The western "Grave" is certainly a dolmen, and seems to have been of boat-shape.
Its greater length is about N.N.E. and S.S.W. The western side and southern end
are tolerably perfect, and show distinctly the stones of a peristyle. Three slabs in
line form the S. end, measuring together about 10 feet From either extremity of
this line a slab branches off at an obtuse angle so that the corners of the vault are
not right angles, but rather curves in the manner of the stem of a boat. From the
extremity of the one on the W. side a curving line of seven slabs run in the N.N.E.
direction, so that, had the E. side, which is in ruins, been similarly completed, they
would have met in a point The interior measures 26 feet 6 ins. long, and 14 feet
broad at broadest It stands on a natural hillock.
6, 7. In the Townland of Rylane, and Parish of Clooney,
are two dolmens — observed by Mr. Westropp — not marked on
Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 26 and 34, which contain this Townland.
They are approximate to each other, as seen in Mr. Westropp's sketch, and
in a direction N.E. and S.W. In the first the stones are larger than in the
second, but it is completely overturned and defaced. The other, called the West
Labba^ lies E. and W., and is partially covered in an oblong mound.
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The following are the measurements of the stones in the plan : —
A = 2 feet 9 ins. long, the rest hurled.
B = 4 ,. 6
C = 4 „ o
D = 5 „ 4
E = 3
F = 4
G = 6
H = 6
I = 2
K = 3
o
o
o
o
5
o
by 4 feet brood.
buried.
to 6 feet.
covered.
by 4 feet broad by lo) inches thick.
by 4 feet 4 ins. broad.
and 9 inches thick, nearly covered.
nearly covered.
and 9 inches thick — the rest covered.
Fig. 89.— Ry lane. Sketch by Mr, T,J. Wcstropp.
y'i
Fig. 90.— Rylane. P/an of Western Dolmen by Mr, T,J, Westropp,
8. In the Townland of Caherlogan, and Parish of Clooney,
is a dolmen — observed by Mr. Westropp — not marked on Ord.
Surv. Maps Nos. 34 and 35, which contain this Townland. Caher-
logan joins the Townland of Moymore in which are dolmens,
and which connects this district with that of Tulla.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
This dolmen was overturned by a farmer, who removed the side-slabs, but
found it easier to set the top-stone on its edge, and leave it in the field. In the
condition to which by this process it was reduced, Mr. Westropp has kindly given
me two sketches of it
Fig. 91.— Rylane. Sketch of the Western Dolmen by Mr, T.J, Westropp,
9. In the Townland of Ballyhickey, and Parish of Clooney,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 34, near
Hazel wood House.
4
" .... V--^
In the Townland of Monanoe, and Parish of Doora, is a dolmen
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 34.
\ ID. In the Townland of Bally-
\ macloon East, and Parish of Quin,
f is a dolmen marked Cromlech in
f Surv. Map No. 42.
1 1. In the Townland of Knopoge,
and Parish of Quin, is a dolmen
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 42.
Fig. 92. — Knopoge.
Plan by Mr, T, J, Westropp,
Of this dolmen of Knopoge or Knappoque,
Mr. Westropp has kindly sent me a rough
sketch-plan. It has been much mutilated in recent years, **the outer ring of
stones being tossed out, and part of the top-slab, which was once nearly square,
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broken away." It seems to me to be clear that the part of the monument which is
left, namely the W. end, presents the usual feature of a narrow entrance space
between the S. end of B. and the N. side of C. The dimensions of the covering-
stone are 8 feet (N. to S.) by 4 feet 7 ins. (E. to W.) by 10 inches thick.
Fig. 93.— Knopoge. Sketch by Mr. T.J, Westropp,
12. In the Townland of Dooneen, and Parish of Doora,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 32.
13. In the Townland of Ballyogan, and Parish of Kil-
raghtis, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 26.
In the Barony of Bunratty Lower.
I, 2. In the Townland of DrumuUan, and Parish of Kilmurry,
are two dolmens each marked Dermot and Granicis Bed in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 43. They are E. of that'at Knopoge.
3. In the Townland of Kilcornan, and Parish of Kilmurry,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 43. It
is N.E. of the DrumuUan ones.
4. In the Townland of Knocknalappa, and Parish of Kilmurry,
is a dolmen marked Dermot and Granias Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 43. The name of this Townland is clearly derived from the
lappa = labba or leaba.
5. In the Townland of Ballysheenbeg, and Parish of
Kilfinaghta, is a dolmen marked Dermot and Grania's Bed
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
in Ord. Surv. Map No, 52. It is S,E. of that at Knock-
nalappa.
6. In the Townland of Ballyphunta or Ballinphunta, and
I
Fig. 94.— Ballyphanta. Sketch by Mr. /. T. Westropp.
CD
&
CZjO^V
CID CtSi
C
••(Ti)
-OdZO-
Fig. 95.— Ballyphunta. Plan by Mr, T,/, FiG. 96.— Ballyphunta. W. elevation.
Westropp, Scale { inch =s I foot By Mr, T,/, Westropp,
Fig. 97.— Ballyphunta. N. elevation.
By Mr, T,J, Westropp,
Fig. 98.— Ballyphunta. S. elevation.
By Mr, T, /. Westropp,
Parish of Kilfintinan, close to Crughan or Croaghane Church, a
dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 62.
Of this dolmen Mr. AVestropp has been so kind as to send me a careful
plan and three elevations. The structure lies E. and W., and was covered by
two roofing-slabs of which the W. one overlaps the other, which seems to have
succumbed. A flag 4 feet 10 ins. long and 10 inches thick crosses and completely
closes the W. end. The vault is small and is higher at the W. than at the E. end,
the cap-stone slanting in the latter direction. Two side-stones remain in place on
either side, measuring 3 feet and 2 feet 6 ins. high. Three stones outside the
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County of Clare,
87
dolmen at the W. end show that there was a peristyle. The E. cap-stone measures
4 feet 8 ins. by 4 f(jet 2 ins. ; the W. one 6 feet 7 ins. by 5 feet 6 ins., by 10
inches thick.
7. In the Townland of Brickhill, and Parish of Kilfintinan,
very near that in Ballinphunta, to the S.W. of it, and N. of a site
marked Laght, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 62.
In the Barony of Tulla Upper.
I, 2. In the Townlands of Tyredagh Lower and Tyredagh
'sMcJm
Fig. 99.— Tyredagh Lower. Sketch by Mr, T,J. Westrojfp*
Upper, and Parish of Tulla, close to
Tyredagh Castle, are two dolmens, one
only of which, marked Cromlech, appears
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 27. The other
has been observed by Mr. Westropp.
The first of these, for a plan and drawing of
which I am indebted to Mr. Westropp, lies E. and W.
The vault is in a ruinous condition, but was about
13 feet long. One of the roofing-stones, 8 feet long
by 6 feet 3 broad, by 10 inches thick, was in place,
but apparently broken. A tree was growing within
the area of the vault
The second dolmen, which Mr. Westropp places
in the Townland of Tyredagh Upper, is a remarkable
specimen, as will be seen by the plan he has so care-
fully prepared. The direction of the longer axis is
Fig. 100. — Tyredagh Lower.
Plan by Mr, T, J, Westropp,
Scale \ inch = i foot.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
^^^G._^
Fig. ioi.— Tyredagh Upper. From a sketch by Mr, T.J. IVestropp.
I
Fig. I02.— Tyredagh Upper. P/an by Mr, T. J. Westropp, Scale J inch = i foot.
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County of Clare.
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N.N.E. and S.S.\V., and at the end which appears to be the broader the monu-
ment faces a stream, into which some of the terminal stones have fallen. How
far the opposite end extended seems uncertain. The large stone, G, may pos-
sibly have been a roofing-stone. The width of the vault at that end is 6 feet
6 ins., and between the two stones which terminate it there is an opening
4 inches wide. Within this is a compartment exactly square, measuring 6 feet
6 ins. each way. Two transverse stones, each about 2 feet 6 ins. wide, form, as it
were, the jambs of an entrance into a further compartment, or perhaps compart-
ments, so that the structure may be said to resemble closely that at Annaclochmullen,
in Armagh (which see). The entire length from the stream to the end of the
stone G is 33 feet. The following are the dimensions of the stones : —
Length.
Height.
Thickness.
ft.
ina.
ft. ms.
ft. ins.
A = 7
6
3 6
I 7
B = 7
9
2 6
I 7
C = 5
6
6
I
D
(covered by other stones)
E = 3
3
3
I
F = 3
6
6
8
G = 9
(nearly covered)
H = 7
4
4 6
KK = 4
3
3 6
I
L = 3
6
I 6
I
M=4
6
3
I
N = 9
6 (broad)
I 4
3. In the Townland of Newgrove, als. Ballyslattery, and
'^iS.^fl*'
Fig. 103. — Newgrove, TuUa. From a sketch by the Author,
Parish of Tulla, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 35.
This is a good example of the wedge-shaped form of structure surrounded by its
peristyle, of which latter five stones remain, three on the N. side and two on
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
the S. The longer axis of the vault is E.N.K, and W.S.W. It measures about
9 feet long, by 5 feet 3 ins. broad at the inner or W. end, and 4 feet 2 ins. at the
unclosed and £. end. The roofing-slab measures 9 feet by 9 feet 6 ins., and
I foot 5 ins. thick.
The dimensions of other stones are as follows : —
A= 6
B= 6
C = 10
D= 2
E= 5
F= 4
G= 3
H= 3
K±= 2
Length,
ft. -
3
3
o
6
o
5
9
o
6
Height. Thickness,
ft. uis. ft. ins.
36 08
3 3 o 10
3 4 13
23 07
(overgrown with brambles)
S3 o "
3 10 08
(not taken) (not taken)
22 20
o
Fig. 104.— Newgrove. Plan by the Author.
In the face of this last stone, which stands at the entrance of the vault, is
an artificial circular cavity, known to the Irish as a bull&Hy and the stones so
excavated as buildn-sionts. The mouth of the basin measures 11 inches in
diameter, and the cavity is 6 inches deep on the slant Its presence at the
entrance of this dolmen-vault, in the position of a holy-water stoup at the entrance
of a church, is interesting. With it may be compared the basin cut in a natural
rock at the dolmen called the Three Brothers of Grugith in Cornwall ; that cut
in one of the stones of the dolmen of Mont d'Alg^a, in Portugal ; that cut in
the upper face of a stone in the circle in the Deer Park at Castle Archdall
in Fermanagh, and every du/ldn-stone in Ireland to which veneration is attached,
or which stands by the entrance of some early Christian cell. For the Cornish and
Portuguese examples see the Comparative portion of this work.
Note-book, W. C. B.
4, 5) 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. In the Townland of MiUtown, and Parish
of TuUa ; the sites of seven dolmens are marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 35 respectively, as Derntot and Granias Bed (six) ;
Cromlech (one) ; Gianfs Grave (one). Six of them lay on the
left-hand side of the road leading from Newgrove to Tulla. Of
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these, two were in the portion of the Townland W. of the road
branching off at right angles to Gort, and four were on the right
of it. One, which is still perfect, lies immediately inside the field-
wall to the right of the road from Newgrove to TuUa, a little
:^c"^5=»c^i"^
Fig. 10$. — Milltown. /^rom a sketch by the Author,
beyond Milltown on the Tulla side. Of the others, one is said to
have been blown up in 1892, another is defaced, and of the
remainder the site only of one seems to
be remembered. ^
Mr. Westropp has mentioned to me ^ ^ ^
still one more, which, with the above
seven, would make eight formerly exist-
ing on the Townland. This latter, which
was not marked on the map, lay among
the hazels, near some natural caves, called
locally "the Toomeens" (? tuaimin =
little tomb), on the N. side of the Town-
land.
Us
z^-^
Fig. 106. — Milltown. Plan by the
Author. Scale \ inch = i foot.
After mentioning several "holy wells" in the Parish of Tulla, O'Cunry
(Ord. Surv. Letters, co. Clare) says that on Milltown Townland there are
seven ** Giants' Graves." One of them is said to have been in perfect pre-
servation, **of irregular square form, serving as a pig-sty, with a rick of turf
built over it Another, a little to the N.E., in a field a little N. of the road from
Tulla to Ballyslattery, had the form of a grave or coffin, measuring 19 feet 6 ins.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
long, 4 feet 5 ins. broad at the foot, and 6 feet 4 ins. at the head from out to
out This monument was enclosed by a number of large stones placed at a few
feet distant, and following the form of the grave. The dolmen, which is still
perfect, I planned in 1895. It consists simply of five stones, and its condition
proves it to have been untouched, although, as in the case of that at Parknabinnia,
which it resembles, a mound probably once covered it, the remains of which
may never have been removed from its top, which is covered with earth and
stones, coated with moss and shamrock.
Its longer axis is E.S.E. and W.N.W. The roofing-stone measures 10 feet
long by 9 feet broad. The vault measures 4 feet 8 ins. at the E. end, and 5 feet
at the W., and 8 feet 6 ins. long. The dimensions of the four side and end
stones are as follows : —
Length.
ft. ins.
A = 5 6
H = 7 o
C = 9 6
D = 5 o
14
O.S.L.,Co. Clare, -^^, p. 255 ;
Height,
ft. ins.
2 9
2 O
2 9
I 3
Note-book, W. C. B.
Thickness,
fc ins.
I 6
I 6
I 9
I 6
II, 12, 13.
In the Townland of Moymore, and Parish of Tulla,
two Dermot and Granias
.^^:^ X Beds are marked in Ord.
Map No. 30. Mr. Westropp
notes /our dolmens on this
Townland in his list, but I
think he includes one of the
Milltown ones. In a sketch
he kindly sent me, and which
I reproduce, he gives three.
Besides the three dolmens, there
are in proximity to them other re-
mains, such as pillars on a ruined
cairn, two upright stones close to-
gether, and also a single block.
The dolmens are all three much
buried, which probably indicates
that they were covered by tumuli.
In each case they appear, says Mr.
Westropp, to consist of a large block
resting on the ground at the W.
end, and supported at the £. end
by one or two blocks.
The covering-stone of the upper
one in his sketch measures 6 feet (E. and W.), by 6 feet 8 ins. (N. and S.), and
rests on one (visible) block 3 feet 3 ins. high, by 14 inches thick.
The covering-stone of the lower one measures from 4 feet 4 ins, to 7 feet
Fig. 107. — Moymore (Milltown Castle in the back-
ground). From a sketch by Mr, T.J, Westropp,
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3 ins. (£• and W.), by 4 feet 2 ins. (N. and S.), and is 16 inches thick. That of
the third measures 3 feet by 3 feet, by 1 1 inches thick.
14. In the Townland of Rosslara, and Parish of TuUa, is
a dolmen, marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 27.
This dolmen consists of a single flat cap-stone resting on four side-stones, two
on either side of the vault Its longer axis is approximately N.W. and S.E.
,, - ^ -.
Fig. 108.— Rosslara. N.E. face. From a sketch by Mr, T,J, Wtstropp,
Fig. 109.— Rosslara. N.W. face. From a sketch by Mr, T, J, Watropp,
cn
j£:\
CD
C
D
Fig. 1 10. — Rosslara. Plan and elevation by Mr, T.J. IVestropp. Scale } inch = i foot.
The cap-stone measures 7 feet 6 ins. long, by about 5 feet wide, and is 6 inches
thick. The larger side-stone on the N.E. side is 5 feet 4 ins. long; from 3 feet
3 ins. to 2 feet 5 ins. high, and 16 inches thick ; the smaller on the same side
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
is 3 feet long, 3 feet high, and 10 inches thick. I insert two sketches etched from
Mr. Westropp's pencil drawings.
15. In the Townland of Maryfort, als. Lismeehan, and Parish
Fig. III.— Maryfort SJkficA by Mr, T, J. IVcstropp,
of Tulla, is a dolmen observed by Mr. Westropp, not marked
in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 27 and 35, which contain this Townland,
which lies just S. of that of Rosslara.
Mr. Westropp has kindly furnished me with a sketch and notes of this dolmen.
It consists simply of a roofing-stone resting in a slanting position on one supporter,
which also leans, and is partially covered by a cairn. The single side-stone, which is
on the N. W., measures 4 feet 8 ins. by 3 feet 6 ins. by 12 inches thick. The roofing-
stone measures 5 feet 6 ins. from N.W. to S.E., but is too much covered for the
length along the slope to be taken.
16. In the Townland of Corracloon Beg, and Parish of Feakle,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 20. It lies
a mile and a half S. of Lake Graney, W. of the Graney river, and
E. of Knockaunboy Holy Well.
17. In the Townland of Cappaghbaun-Mountain, and Parish
of Moynoe, is a dolmen (of which a little sketch in profile is given
in the map) marked Dennot and Granias Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 21.
O'Curry notes the existence of this dolmen.
O.S.L., Co. Clare, -^, p. 251.
B. 24
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County of Clare. 95
18, 19. In the Townland of Ballycroum, and Parish of Feakle,
is a monument named in Ord. Surv. Map No. 19 " Altoir
Ultach.'' It lies about a mile and three-quarters W. of the
dolmen at Corracloon Beg.
It is, according to the description and measurements given in
Ord. Surv. Letters for the County of Clare, a dolmen of the
elongated type, narrowing at one end, as in the typical instances
of Keamcarravooly and Slieve Owen, in Cork, of Formoylemore,
in Clare, and indeed, in the case of Ireland, of monuments of this
class in general.
Two hundred yards E. of this dolmen (for I certainly regard it
as one) is the holy well called Tobergrania in the same Ord. Surv.
Map. The structure over the well, as described by O'Donovan,
is similar in every respect to dolmens of the square cist form, such
as that at Berneens (Co. Clare), for example. It is noticeable
that O'Donovan compares this very structure to that at Findmag,
supposed to be near Lough Ree, in Roscommon, under which a
magus was buried in water, and offerings made to him through
a hole in the top, described in the " Life of Patrick.''
The ** Altoir-Olltach," says O'Donovan, is a "grave lying E. and W. It
measures 14 feet 6 ins. long, 3 feet 4 ins. wide at the £. end, and about
6 feet 6 ins. at the W. end. The covering flag or flags have disappeared,
but seven of the perpendicular side and end stones remain. The first stone
at the N. is four feet 6 ins. long, 3 feet wide, and i foot 6 inches thick.
The next to it is 3 feet 8 ins. high, 4 feet wide, and 8 inches thick. The next
is I foot 9 ins. high, i foot 5^ ins. wide, and i foot 6 ins. thick. The next is
2 feet 2 ins. high, 4 feet 3 ins. wide, and i foot 4 ins. thick. The first stone on
the S. side is i foot 6 ins. high ; the same in width, and 6 inches thick. The next
is 2 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 10 inches thick. The next, thrown out of its
position, measures 6 feet long, 4 feet wide, and i foot 6 inches thick. The stone
(if there was one) at the £. end is not to be found."
** The * Tober Ghraind ' is a well over which a structure has been erected, which
is exactly like the cist, cell, or vault of a dolmen. It measures 5 feet square. The
sides and ends consist of four flag-stones placed on their edges. The covering-
stone is a single large flag laid horizontally, and measuring 8 feet from N. to S.,
7 feet 6 ins. from £. to W., and i foot 6 ins. in thickness. It is of grit, and covers
the whole well except for a small hole or aperture at the W. end." In this latter
particular it is that O'Donovan notices a special point of correspondence between
this monument and the structure over the well in which the magus had been
buried.
O.S.L.,~H,,p. 156.
i>. 24
20, 21. In the Townland of Dromandora, and Parish of
Feakle, there are two dolmens, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
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No. 12. These are probably the ones noticed by Mr. Brogan, as
between Gort and Feakle, and which he thought were in Gal way.
Mr. Brogan describes and figures a ** Giant's Grave*' between Gort and Feakle,
which, he says, **from the neatness and regularity of its construction bears witness
mrm'Yfmm
^^ mmrma^
Fig. 112.— Dromandora (the Leaba Diarmuid). From a sketch and plan by Mr, Brogan,
to the ready adaptability of the material used by those who built it to the purpose
they had in view, if not also to an advance in culture beyond that of the
ruder monument of this class. The monument called Leabadh Diarmuid measures
7 feet long by from s feet to 3 feet 6 ins. broad. In the vicinity there is another of
less dimensions called the Leabadh Granu." This, he adds, is '^ the only instance
he had met with of the hero and heroine of the romance being provided with
separate beds."
Proc. R.LA., vol. x. (1866-68), p. 441, and pi. xxiv.
In the Barony of Tulla Lower.
I. In the Townland of Elmhill, and Parish of Killuran,
between Broadford and Tulla, is a dolmen not marked in the Ord.
Surv. Map No. 36, which contains this Townland, but observed
by Mr. Westropp. It is on high ground.
Of this dolmen Mr. Westropp, who discovered it, is so good as to send me a
sketch and plan. It has fallen, but a side-stone, measuring 7 feet long, 3 feet high,
and I foot 4 ins. thick, remains in place and shows that the direction of the vault
was E.S.E. and W.N.W. The covering-slab measures 5 feet 3 ins. by 4 feet 3 ins.
by I foot thick. There is also a terminal stone, and the interior of the vault is
filled up by a grassy mound.
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County of Clare.
97
2. In the Townland of Ardskeagh, and Parish of Kilseily,
three quarters of a mile E. of Broadford, is a dolmen. It stands
on high ground. Near it are the names Poulnamucka and
Knockaunnafinnoge, It is marked Gianfs Grave in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 44.
3. In the Townland of Drummin, and Parish of Kilseily, is
a dolmen marked Gianfs Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44.
It is mentioned in the Ord. Surv. Letters, Co. Clare. It is on
high ground. Near it is a hilltop called Laghtnagat.
" A broken Giant's Grave," O.S.L., Co. Clare, -^, p. 307.
B. 24
4. In the Townland of Ballykelly, and Parish of Kilseily, are
Fio. 1 13.— Ballykelly. Sketch by the Author.
the remains of a dolmen marked Cromlech in the Ord. Surv.
Map No. 44. It is on high ground. A country-woman called it
/ \ r // c I
Fig. 1 14.— Ballykelly. Plan by thi Author, Scale J inch = i foot
** Ould Grania" In the Ord. Surv. Letters it is described as "a
broken Giant's Grave," like that at Drummin.
I had some difficulty in discovering the whereabouts of this monument, and
when at last I found it — in a beautiful situation overlooking the richly wooded
Lough Doon — it was a mere niin, almost every stone on the S. side having been
removed. It lies E.N.E. and W.S.W. The whole of the seven stones which foraied
VOL. I.
H
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the N. side are in place, and are graduated in height from i8 inches at the £. end
to 5 feet 6 ins. at the W. end.
Three roofing-stones rest on them, their other ends being on the natural soil,
or on a fallen supporter. These cap-stones measure respectively (A) 6 feet 6 ins.
long, 5 feet i in. broad, and i foot 3 ins. thick, resting at the S. end on two fallen
supporters (B C), the first 18 inches, the second 4 feet long ; (D) 5 feet 9 ins. long,
2 feet 2 ins. broad, and 7 inches thick 3 (E) 3 feet 7 ins. long, by 4 feet 6 ins. broad,
and 9 inches thick. The other stones measure : —
Length
ft.
in.
F = 6
G = 2
4
H = 2
8
1 = 2
6
K = 3
4
L = 2
3
M = 3
4
N=3
3
= 3
9
Hei
ft.
6
Thidcnett.
ft. in.
II
9
10
3
4
6
9
1 6
8
1 10
I I
6 (broad)
I
I 4
The stones are granite. It is a good example of a dolmen increasing in height
towards the W.
O.S.L., Co. Clare, -^, p. 307 ; Note-book, W. C. B.
B. 24
5. In the Townland of Knockshanvo, and Parish of Kilseily,
E. of Knockaphunta hill, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 44. W. of it are rocks marked Farbrega. The
natives regard this as an altar used by Catholics in the days
of Protestant persecution.
6. In the Townland of Formoylemore, and Parish of Killo-
kennedy, near the ruins of the old village, on the right of the road
\
Fig. 115.— Formoylemore. PJan by the Author. Scale } inch = i foot.
from Broadford, leading down into Formoylebeg, is a dolmen. It
is marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44, and is on high
ground.
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County of Clare.
99
This dolmen is tolerably perfect, and affords an example of a wedge-shaped
structure with a peristyle, the sides formed of many stones instead of each side by
a single one as in the Burren. The material here is granite. The long axis is
E.S.K and W.N.W. Two roofing-stones are in place, measuring respectively
(A) 6 feet 6 ins. by 4 feet 6 ins. by i foot thick, and (B) 5 feet 6 ins. by 4 feet
9 ins. by 9 inches thick. Three others lie outside, namely, C at the W. end,
5 feet 6 ins. by 4 feet 6 ins. by 10 inches thick, and D and £ each 5 feet long
and I foot thick. The other stones measure : —
Length. Breadth.
Height.
ft. ins. ft.
ins.
ft. ins.
F = 2 2 ,. 2
2
4 6
G = 2 4 * I
3
4 8
1^2 ?r^® ^^^ ®^ ruined house abuts on the structure)
K = 2 8 28 (fallen)
L = 3 6
9 to I ft.
4 6
M = 3
8
4
N = 3
10
4
= 22
8
2 2
P = 4 I
I 7
Q = 4 I
7
I 7 (but prostrate)
R = 2 6
9
2
S = 2 8 I
4
I 4
5}= 2 8
9
3 10
V = 3 2
9
2 6
W = 3
9
4 6
X = I 6 1
8
I 6
The entire length of the vault is about 17 feet, rising in height from i foot 7 ins.
at the E. end to 4 feet 6 ins. at the W. end, and expanding from about 2 feet
to 3 feet 6 ins. in width in the same direction.
7, 8. In the Townland of Cloony con ry more, and Parish of
e^^^sv^^
Fig. 1 1 6. — Cloonyconrymore. From a sketch by the Author,
KiUokennedy, were two dolmens, each marked Cromlech in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 44.
I could only hear of one of these, and this occupied the summit of an elevation
overlooking the valley between Broadford and Kilbane. It is formed of rougher
blocks (greenstone and granite) than any other in this vicinity, and is in a ruinous
condition, although the intention to construct a wedge-shaped vault is evident It
lies W.N.W. and KS.E. Outside the W. end there is an arrangement of three
stones which probably formed an antechamber or porch in that direction. These
measure respectively : (A) 3 feet 6 ins. long, 2 feet 5 ins. broad, 1 foot thick ;
(B) 2 feet each way ; (C) 2 feet 9 ins. each way. To the S. of C lies D, a block
in the ground, possibly in situ, 6 feet 6 ins. long, 2 feet 6 ins. wide, and i foot 6 ins.
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thick. To the N. of A lies E, which may have been a cap-stone, 7 feet 6 ins. long
and 2 feet 10 ins. broad, flat on the top, evidently displaced and having a hollow
under it This stone a very old farmer, who acted as my guide to the spot, was
very particular that I should insert in my plan, since it was, he said, the "desk"
at which they used to write ; but who they were, or why they wrote, he had
forgotten.
Fig. 117.— Cloonyconrymore. Plan by the Auther, Scale | inch s i foot.
The one roofing-stone which was in place measured 11 feet in greatest length,
and 7 feet 6 ins. in greatest breadth at the W. end, narrowing to 4 feet 3 ins. at the
£. end It is a roughish block varying in thickness from about i foot to x foot
6 ins. It is placed in position in an unusual manner, resting on the point of the
side-stone H, but otherwise supported by two small stones set on the top of I and
K respectively. The vault, which it does not fully cover at the W. end, measures
4 feet 6 ins. broad at that end, narrowing towards the £., but to what extent cannot
be said, as the whole of that portion is disarranged. It was probably about 15 feet
long, although now only 9 feet. The dimensions of the other stones are : —
Length.
Height.
Thickness.
ft.
ins.
it.
ins.
ft. ins.
G = 6
2
3
I 8
H = 5
9
2
I 3
1 = 5
2
I 6 to I ft. II ins.
K = 5
6
I
2
I 8
L = 3
2
3
II
M = 5
3
2 (broad)
I 6
N = 4
I
6 ..
I
= 4
8
2
8 ..
I
P = 3
2
„
I
Q = i
6 square.
9. In the Townland of Killokennedy, and Parish of Killo-
kennedy, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44.
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County of Clare. lor
It lies on a mountain, a mile and a quarter W. by N. of Kilbane.
A native of Kilbane, pointing towards its site, called the mountain
" Labba Dhiarmada Mountain." S.S.W. of the dolmen are rocks
marked Farbrega.
ID. In the Townland of Lackareaghmore, and Parish of
O'Brien's Bridge, on the summit of the hill, there is a site marked
Dermot and Granicis Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44. I went up
to it, but found only a cairn, although there may have been a
dolmen removed since the survey. Between this mountain and
that on which the Killokennedy dolmen stands is the mountain
called Glennagalliagh, above the valley of that name.
1 1 . In the Townland of Cloghoolia, and Parish of Clonlea, is
a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 52.
12. In the Townland at Ardataggle, and Parish of O'Brien's
Bridge, is a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 53.
Of this dolmen Mr. Westropp has kindly sent me two sketches and a ground-
plan, from which it appears that the monument is very similar to those at Formoyle-
more and Cloonyconrymore. One roofing-stone, that at the broader (W.S.W.) end,
is in place, and a second has been tilted on its side. The one in place measures
7 feet 8 ins. long by 5 feet 6 ins. to 4 feet 3 ins. wide, and from 6 to 11 ins. thick.
The other is of nearly similar dimensions. A prostrate slab at the W.S.W. end
measures 6 feet 6 ins. long. The terminal stone at that end is 7 feet long. The
vault measures about 12 feet long. It lies £.N.£. and W.S.W. At the latter end
it is 3 feet 6 ins. broad, and narrows at the further extremity to i foot 6 ins. There
are evidences that it was surrounded by a peristyle.
In the Barony of Clonderalaw.
I . In the Townland of Kiltumper, and Parish of Kilmihil, is
a site marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 48, Tumpers Grave,
and indicated by six dots, arranged in parallel lines of three.
In the same Townland is Knockbrack, and a Tobereendoney,
Tobar Righ an Domnaigh, popularly explained to mean ** Sunday's
Well." The name Tumper is Tuaim-an-fhir. With this
we may compare the name " Tuamanirvore," which is that of a
dolmen at Cappanahannagh in Limerick. If, as seems allowable
by analogy, we add to Tuaim-an-fhir the adjective ^* mSr*'
(vore), we have an identical name, meaning *' The Great Man's
{i.e. the Giant's) Grave," and the presumption that Tumpers
Grave was a dolmen. I find it called "Thoomper's Cill," or,
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I02 The Dolmens of Ireland.
by the natives, " the Giant^s Grave," and there is an oral tradition
about it, which will be given in the sequel.
O.S.L., .-^, pp. 45. 46.
In the Barony of Moyarta.
Note — An instance of the occunrence of the names of Dermot and Grania
in connection with natural rocks in situ^ is afforded at Loop Head, where a
long rock off the point is named Dermot and Crania's Rock« On the shore
opposite it is a spot named Cuchullin's Leap ; and on the other side of Loop Head
is Poulnapeasta, each of these names indicating the localization here of legends
common to the western coast of Ireland. (See Ord. Surv. Map No. 71.)
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G9C!rgeIhaipl5aii^£0nimvlJiMrpotib.
)Ogle
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( I03 )
11. PROVINCE OF CONNAUGHT.
COUNTY OF GALWAY.
In the Barony of Dunmore.
*i. In theTownland of Cappagh, and Parish of Dunmore, is a
monument marked Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5. It is close
to the well Tobernacrobyneeve, and a little over a mile W. of
Patrick's Stone.
In the Barony of Ballynahinch.
I. In the Townland of Cashleen, and Parish of Bally nakill, a
Fig. 118. — Rynvyle. Gateway into rath. From a drawing by Mr, Ktnahan,
Giant's Grave is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9. It lies to
the E. of a fort called Caherdoona, and
S.E. of the Well and Church of the Seven
Daughters.
Rynvyle, where there was a megalithic
and dolmen-like gateway into a rath, figured
by Mr. Kinahan, lies to the N.E.
It is an important monument showmg that the rath-
builders were practised in megalithic construction. \
Kilk. Archseol. Journ., 186S-9, pi. opp. p. 282.
2. In the Townland of Knockbrack,
which includes the point of land between Fig. 119.— Rynvyle. Gateway
the Bays of Cleggan and Sellerna, in the Tn!^"^' tian by Mr, jcina^
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
Parish of Omey, is a dolmen marked Labbadermot in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 22.
Mr. Kinahan calls this dolmen, " Leaba Diarmuid" He describes it as consisting
of two flattish slabs placed sloping on pillars, the N. side of the larger one, which
measures lo feet by 5, overlapping the N. pillars, thereby causing the N.E. part to
rest on the ground. The uprights were five in number ; two at the S., and three
towards the N. The latter were placed on edge and were low, while the southern
/ •
Fig. 120. — Knockbrack. Elevation and plan from Mr, KinahatCs drawings,
were on end and much higher, giving thereby a slope to the flag. There were no
stones near it which could have been the remnant of a cairn. There were other
structures in the same neighbourhood formed of large flags. One of them had two
chambers. From another the roof was absent.
Jour. H.A.A.I., 3rd Ser., vol. i. p. 444.
3, 4^ In the Townland of Cleggan, and Parish of Ballynakill,
close to the sea on the E. shore of Cleggan Bay, is a dolmen
marked Druid's Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 22. Another is
on the cliff on the N. shore, not marked.
Mr. Kinahan gives a plan of a dolmen on the £. of Cleggan, and W. of Bally-
nakill Lough. It was dismantled. The prostrate roofing-slab measured 8 feet
3 ins., by 6 feet i ia, by i foot 9 ins. He also gives a plan and sketch of a dolmen
on the N. shore of the bay.
Jour. R.H.A.A.I., 3rd Ser., vol. i. pp. 442, 443.
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County of Galway. 105
5^ In the Townland of Ardbear, and Parish of Moyrus, is " a
cromlech on the shore near Clifden at Bally conry." In Ord.
Surv. Map No. 35 I find neither the monument nor the name
Ballyconry in the situation here indicated by Petrie.
In the midst of a group of circles of various sizes, which Petrie calls the ruins of
a town of cahers, there was, he says, a cromlech.
MS. Essay on " Military Architecture in Ireland,*' by G. Petrie, in Lib. R.I.A., p. i6i.
*6. In the Townland of Kylemore, and Parish of Bally nakill,
at a place called Moveelan, one mile E.S^E. of Kylemore Castle,
is a dolmen. Neither Moveelan nor the monument are shown in
Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 23 or 24. In the latter map, however,
a cairn is marked in the Townland of Kylemore.
Mr. Kinahan mentions the existence here of a flag structure, such as that
which he describes at Drumgaroe, near Streamstown. (See Bar. Leitrim, No. ii,
infrct.) Others, he says, exist in various parts of the country. These flag structures
appear to be genuine dolmens constructed with the materials ready to hand, which
were not so ponderous as in other districts.
Jour. R.H.A.A.L, 4th Ser., vol. ii. p. 12.
In the Barony of Clare.
I. In the Townland of Bally brone, and Parish of Athenry,
is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 57.
There is a Tober Patrick half a mile to the N. of it
In the Barony of Moycullen.
I. In the Townland of TuUy, and Parish of Killannin, to the
S.W. of Clochree Hill, and close to Lough Ardanmore, a Druid's
Altar is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 91.
In the Barony of Longford.
I. In the Townland of Bally hoose, and Parish of Clonfert, a
Dermot and Granids Bed is marked on Ord. Surv. Map No. 100.
It is indicated by the marks usual for tumuli, two of which are
shown, one of them having a smaller one protruding from its side.
In the Barony of Dunkellin.
1. In the Townland of Toorclogher, and Parish of Killogilleen,
is a Dermot and Granids Bed, so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No.
104.
2. In the Townland of Seefin, adjoining that of Toorclogher,
on the S.E., is 2l Druid's Altar, so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No.
104. It lies half a mile S. of the Dermot and Granids Bed in
Toorclogher, and is also in the Parish of Killogilleen.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
3. In the Townland of Lavally, and Parish of Killeely, is a
dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 95, but near it is a
Fig. 121. — Lavally. From a drawing hy Mr, W, F. Wakcman,
place called Laghtgall, which may have been the name of the
monument.
I annex an unpublished sketch by Mr. Wakeman. The cap-stone measures
8 feet long.
In the Barony of Loughrea.
I. In the Townland of Grannagh, and Parish of Ardrahan, an
elevated site is represented in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 114,
marked Gtanfs Hill, in the centre of which a Gianfs Grave is
marked.
In the Barony of Kiltartan.
1. In the Townland of Crannagh, and Parish of Ardrahan, a
Dermot and Granicis Bed is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 122.
2. In the Townland of Derrycallan North, and Parish of
Beagh, a Dermot and Granicis Bed is marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 129. It lies S. of Ballynakill Lake.
In the Barony of Leitrim.
I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. In the Townland of Marble Hill, and
Parish of Ballynakill, eight Cromlechs are thus marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 125. They all He within half a mile of Marble
Hill House, to the N.E., E., and S.E. of it.
There is a Tobermacduagh, and a lis with cave, in the midst
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County of Galway. 107
of the group of these dolmens which lies to the S.E. of the house.
Still further to the S., in the Townland of Moyglass, is Knockaun-
nagall, a children's burying-ground. One mile to the N,E. of this
group of dolmens is that called Labbadermot, in the Townland of
Knockroe, which may be considered perhaps as an outlyer of this
group. (See next.)
9. In the Townland of Knockroe, and Parish of Ballynakill,
one mile N.E. of the Marble Hill group of dolmens, is one marked
LMadermot in Ord. Surv. Map No. 125. W. of it is a rock
marked Carrickbreaga.
In the Ord. Surv. Letters this group of monuments is described as '' Giants^
Graves, eight in number, and Labadiartnad^ which is described in the Name-Book
as a *cave with a stone over it.' " Dutton, who is, however, very inaccurate, speaks
of a " fine Druid's Altar in the demesne of Marble Hill." " One stone," he says,
''was 30 feet long by 8 feet broad; it had been much injured by the hands of
ignorance before Sir Thomas Burke became possessor of the estate, as many of the
stones were taken for the purpose of building a common wall"
O.S.L., Co. Gahvay, _H_^ p. 52a; Dutton, «*Surv. of the County of Galway," p. 470.
ID. In the Townland of Moanmore East, and Parish of
Tynagh, 300 yards S.W. of the site marked Seven Monuments in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 105, is a dolmen, not marked in the map.
II. In the Townland of Streamstown "N.N.E. of Streams-
<^^
Lfcm)cr:_^
^
Fig. 132.— Drumgaroe. Plan by Mr, Kinahan,
town House," in the Parish of Tynagh, at a place called Drumgaroe
(not in map), is a dolmen, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 106.
This is an example of the class of structure to which Mr. Kinahan applies the
term foskac^ and which he regards as " flag-dwellings." To me it appears more
probable that they were sepulchral chambers. If so, the roofs were possibly con-
structed of overlapping stones. This structure measured 23 feet long and 6 feet
wide, and comprised two chambers, the one about 12 feet, the other about 10 feet
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io8 The Dolmens of Ireland,
long. The doorway between the chambers was very narrow, being only i foot wide,
and in the N. wall of the W. chamber was an opening i foot 3 inches wide. A
portion of the upright flags forming the wall of the £. chamber, as also the covering
flags of both chambers, had been removed To the K, however, were detached
standing flags, and a portion of some sort of structure.
Jour. R.H.A.A.L, 4th Sen, vol. ii. p. 13.
In the Barony of Aran.
1. In the Townland of Killeany, and Parish of Inishmore (in
Aranmore), just S. of Cowrugh, on the N. side of the island, a
Dermot and Grantds Bed is marked in the Ord. Surv. Map
No. no. A little N. of it is a stone called Clochanaphuca.
There were three cromlechs, says O'Donovan, on Aranmore. One stood at
Conroogh (Cowrugh) on the N. side of the island not far from the smith's forge ;
another not far distant in a subdivision of Kilmurvy, called Fearann-a-choircb (see
No. 2) ; and a third (which is the one still in existence) about a mile from the
forge (see No. 3).
O.S.L., Co. Galway, ~^. p. 268.
2. In the Townland of Kilmurvy, and Parish of Inishmore (in
Aranmore), in a division of the Townland called Farrnacurka
(Fearann a choirce), was a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 1 10.
O.S.L., Co. Galway, ^i^, p. 268.
3. In the Townland of Killeany (or Kilmurvy ?), "one mile
S. of the forge," — " near Michael O'Brien's house," in the Parish
of Inishmore (in Aranmore), was a dolmen not marked in Ord.
Surv. Maps no, in, or 119.
O.S.L., Co. Galway, -ji-, p. 268.
4. In the Townland of Carrownlisheen, and Parish of Inish-
maan (in the Middle Island), to the N.E. of, and close to the
hamlet of Moher, a Dermot and Granids Bed is marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 119.
O'Donovan remarks that this is the most remarkable of the dohnens in Aran.
It was traditionally called Leaba Dhiarmada a*s Ghraini, '*It consists," he
adds, ''of two upright stones running parallel with each other, about 10 feet
8 ins. in length, and about 4 feet high, and of a covering-stone at the top, laid
perfectly horizontal It appears to have been enclosed at the ends by two other
stones, of which the one on the N. side is removed, but that on the S. side still
remains, though a little displaced. There appears to have been some day carried
hither to form a small mound under this cromlech. If one took the trouble to
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County of Galway.
109
remove this clay off the surface of the solid rock, he would no doubt find an urn
or some pagan antiquities under it"
O.S.L., Co. Galway, ~1-, p. 268.
5, 6. In Aranmore Mr. Kinahan met with ** cells built with
I \
1
Fig. 123. — Aranmore. Plans by Mr, Kinahan,
flags," to which he applies the liSimt /osleac, and of which he gives
two examples.
Proc. R.I.A., vol. X. pi. iii.
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COUNTY OF MAYO.
In the Barony of Erris.
1. In the Townland of Glengad, als. Dooncarton, and Parish
of Kilcommon, on land called Lugnafulla, close to the sea-shore,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
"A Giant's Grave," says Caesar Otway, "that is, an oblong trough or cist,
composed of large stones set on their ends, about 18 feet long and 4 feet wide.
Any covering-stones, if they ever existed, had been removed, but there were some
stones lying near by, which might have served this purpose. Not far E. of this
was a * Druidical Circle,' of small dimensions, consisting of upright stones, neither
large nor lofty." It was on the side of the mountain.
" Sketches in Erris and Tirawly," by Csesar Otway, p. 336.
2. In the Townland of Gortbrack North, and Parish of
Kilcommon, was a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map
No. II.
Fig. 124. — Gortbrack. From a drawing by Casar Otway,
I think this must be the monument referred to by Caesar Otway as " in the wild
upland vale of Glengad." He says of it: '*This cromlech, though not of the
largest, is a fine one. It is enclosed in a small potato garden." The stones of
which it was formed were quartz. " The chamber," he adds, " is an incomplete
quadrangle, formed by one stone on the S. side, three on the E. side, and two on
the N. side." The measurements are as follows : the extreme length of the
covering-stone from E. to W., 9 feet 8 ins. ; the extreme breadth from N. to S.,
8 feet 2 ins. ; and the thickness from i foot 4 ins. to 6 inches. The height from
the ground on the N. side is 2 feet 6 ins., and on the S. 4 feet 4 ins.
Two noticeable points about it are (i) that there are four circular depressions,
apparently artificial cups, on the surface of the W. end of the covering-stone ;
(2) that "the covering-stone forms a perfect rocking-stone, which a child with one
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County of Mayo. hi
hand could move up and down, but which would require the strength of many men,
and all the appliances of machinery, to put out of place."
** Sketches in Erris and Tirawly," by Caesar Otway, p. 324, with sketch, p. 326.
3. In the Townland of Carn, about half a mile N.W. of Lacht-
an-Iorrais, and in the Parish of Kilmore, is a dolmen marked
Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9, called " Trunk- na-CailHghe " by
the natives.
" A large grave, nearly square, formed by very large stones standing upright."
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, YTiS P' ^^^'
4. In the Townland of Emlybeg Nash, and Parish of Kilmore,
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9.
"A cairn or Leacht not so large as the Leacht-an-Iorrats,^' It lies between
the latter and the Trunk-na-Caillighe.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, £-^. p. 214-
5. 6, In the Townland of Binghamstown, and Parish of
Kilmore, at the Lacht-an-Iorrais itself, and at 200 yards N. of it,
are two monuments not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9. This
Townland is called Knockanbaun in the Ord. Surv. Letters. The
Lacht^ or Leackty is three quarters of a mile N.W. of Binghamstown.
The Leacht-an-Iorrais forms '^a very conspicuous object in the middle of a
wilderness of sands.'* Of the place on which the cairn stands, O'Donovan says :
'* It is altogether a wild and poetical spot, but there is no local Homer to celebrate
it" The description of it in the Ord. Surv. Letters is accompanied by a plan,
too rough to be inserted, which shows the position of the leacht {^hicYi may possibly
itself contain a dolmen), and of some adjacent remains.
North of the cairn is shown a stone enclosure, or rather one side of it, which
may be classed as a dolmen, 14 feet in length, but the breadth of which cannot be
ascertained, as the W. side is destroyed
An irregular circle of stones, much displaced, measuring 36 yards in circum-
ference, stretches from the northern round to the southern extremity of the " grave "
or stone enclosure just mentioned, to which it is attached.
The cairn itself is formed of large and small stones piled over each other without
any apparent attention to architectural order. It measures 35 yards in circumference
at the base, and about 15 feet in height, and was originally conical in shape. Its
form, however, was, at the time of the Survey, very irregular, in consequence of
many of the stones having been removed from its sides, either by the storms which
are almost eternal on the coast, or by antiquarian investigators, none of whom,
however, have explored the centre.
Two concentric semicircular mounds formed of gravel and stones seem originally
to have formed portions of circles embracing the cairn, which latter, however, would
not have been near the centre, but close to the E. side of the inner circle. The
distance between the circles appears to have been about 6 yards, and the diameter
of the inner circle about 55 yards.
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112 The Dolmens of Ireland,
Human bones lay scattered in all directions round the Leacht-an-Iarrais. The
following is Knight's account of the discovery, or, rather, the uncovering of this
cairn : " Lachta Ard," he says, " had been, in the memory of many now living,
entirely buried in the sands for ages, but it still bore the name. One exceedingly
stormy night unfolded the tradition of the name to be true, for the whole sand-soil,
to the depth of many feet — at least ao^for I was often since on the Lachta), was
swept away by the storm, and a rough, rude, but very large lachta or cairn stood
revealed, resting on the primitive rock or firm ground, on which the storm prevailed
not, and the adjacent plains showed the exposed bones of thousands, scattered
promiscuously through the sands on a firm earth, having in many places the marks
of ridges."
About 200 yards N. of the cairn there is a monument described as *' a laige
grave," which I reckon as the second dolmen on my list in this Townland.
To the same group, which may be termed the Knockanbaun group, belongs an
earthen tumulus partly covered with stones, at Beal Dorcha, half a mile W.S.W. of
the Leacht-an-Iarrais.
It was in this tumulus that Dr. Lyons, on whose farm, called Cross^ it was, made
a most singular discovery. On opening it, a skeleton was discovered in a sitting
posture^ ''a kind of chair having been formed of stones in the interior of the
mound The face was turned towards the great monument of Leach t-an-Iorrais, and
the top of the head came very near to the apex of the tumulus." Knight states,
however, that the skeleton was placed erect
'' The tumulus was of the shape of an irregular triangle, and consisted of three
kinds of soil in different strata — sandy, moory, and clayey."
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, g-^oi PP. 209,rf«y^. ; Knight's "Account of Erris," p. 109.
♦7. In the Townland of Glencastle, and Parish of Kilcommon,
close to Dun Domhnaill to the S.W., a monument is marked
DomhnalVs Grave, in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17. It is about four
and a half miles S.E. of Bellmullet, and may have been a dolmen.
Only a stone at the base of the conical fortified hill is recorded as being left
at the time of the Ord. Survey to mark this grave. *' The headstone " of the Giant
Dombnall Dual-Buidhe (i.e. Donnell of the Yellow Hair) had been removed.
O.S.L.. Co. Mayo, ^^, p. 158.
8. In the Townland of DrumgoUagh, and Parish of Kil-
common, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No.
56, half a mile N. of " Tober Fintany " and " Fintany's House."
In the Barony of Tirawley.
I. In the Townland of Ballyglass, and Parish of Doonfeeny,
half a mile from Ballycastle, on the road from that place to
Doonfeeny, near the coast, is a monument not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 7. It is called the "Giant's Grave." f
t Just N. of its site in Bunatrahir Bay, a shelf of rock on the coast is marked Cromiack, a name [
not infrequently applied in Ireland to perfectly natural slanting rocks, but never by the natives to
dolmens. {
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County of Mayo. 113
The position which O'Conor, in the Ord. Surv. Letters, assigns to a "large
monument of the Giant's Grave class composed of large stones placed standing in
the ground," proves that it is the same of which Caesar Otway gives a description
in his ** Erris and Tirawley."
The monument consists of an oval enclosure, formed, as represented in the
plan, by twenty-six stones. Two of these stones, placed respectively near either
end, on the N.E. and N.W. sides of the oval, are Qudging by the plan) at least six
times as large, in superficial measure-
ment, as any one single one of the ^^ ^^
others. They are, perhaps, the cover- j^^^ ^^
ing-stones mentioned in the following ^T^ %^*>i^
description by Otway: "At either end %mJL ^^ .— > ^^Vm
of the oval," he says, " are two square ^ttJL ^^L.
enclosures or chambers, one connected ^^^^►•i^ ^♦^'^H^
by a narrow passage with the other. g^|
They had originally been covered like y\q. 125.— Ballyglass. Plan by Casar Otway,
cromleacs, or rather like what the Irish
call Darby and Grana's Beds. The covering-stones were thrown off, and were
lying, either broken or entire, on either side."
" The entrance was on the S. side of the oval, and opposite to it was another
enclosure or chamber that had been also covered, but was single."
The plan shows that this latter enclosure had three stones forming its W. side,
two its £. side, and one its N. end. The double enclosure at the E. end of the
oval tapered to a narrow opening into the oval area at the W. end. It was
composed of four stones on the S. side, three on the N. side, and one at the inner
or E. end. The partition across the middle was formed by two stones, with
a narrow passage-way between. The double enclosure at the W. end of the oval
was formed by three stones on either side. A transverse stone, placed across the
centre, divided it into two compartments, so as to leave a narrow opening between
its N. end and the wall. There was no stone at the W. end of this structure.
The entrance on the S. was formed by two stones on either side of a passage.
Mr. Otway observes that there was nothing worthy of remark in the size of the
stones forming this monument, nor the extent of the ground it covered. Unfor-
tunately there are no dimensions given, nor is any scale appended to his plan.
He observes : " It is unlike any Cromleac, Druidical Circle, or Giant's Grave I
have ever seen." It may be compared, however, with almost an exactness of detail,
as far as the ground-plan goes, with the monument at Magheraghanrush in Sligo,
and it also resembles, in the arrangements of its dolmens, the Cioghan in Glen-
malin in Donegal
About 300 yards S. of it was a small circle of stones which Mr. Otway describes
as not unlike those at Carrowmore.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, ^ , p. 230 ; " Sketches in Erris and Tirawley," by Csesar Otway, with
plan, p. 269. ^' '^
2, 3. In the Townland of Rathfran, and Parish of Temple-
murry, on the Palmerstown river, where it runs into Rathfran Bay,
and close to Summerhill House, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 15. It is indicated by the figure of a rock,
VOL. I. I
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114 The Dolmens of Ireland.
and not far off is a second^ apparendy meant to represent a similar
monument.
See below, Nos. 8-1 1.
4. In the Townland of Breastagh, adjoining that of Rathfran
on the N.E., and in the Parish of Templemurry, is a dolmen
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 15.
See below, Nos. 8-1 1.
5, 6. In the Townland of Rathfranpark, and Parish of Temple-
murry, S.W. of the Townland of Rathfran, two dolmens are
marked Cromlechs in Ord. Surv. Map No. 15.
See below, Nos. 8-1 1.
7. In the Townland of Carbad, and Parish of Templemurry, W.
of the Townland of Rathfranpark, is a dolmen marked Cromlech
on Ord. Surv. Map No. 15.
Sec below, Nos, 8-1 1.
8, 9, 10, II. There were at least four other monuments in this
latter Townland, and it is probable that the group (Nos. 2-7),
which may be termed the Rathfran group, comprised a dozen
dolmens or dolmen-circles, if not more.
" No attempt at description," says O'Conor, " can convey an exact idea of the
form and extent of any of these monuments." They may be taken together as the
Mullacross (Mullaghnacroise) group.
Caesar Otway thus describes them : " In approaching the house of Mr. Palmer
of Summerhill, and going over the hill of Mullacross, I was surprised to see on
every side of me a number of Druidical monuments of different sizes and forms.
I have never seen so many clustered, as I may say, within a circuit of half a mile
as here, except at Carrowmore. At the four cross-roads of Mullacross there is
what is called a Giant's Grave. In the five fertile pasture-fields to the left of the
road as you descend the hill towards Killala there are two or three circles.
On the right-hand side of the road there are still more. On the hill beyond
Mr. Palmer's house there are two — one large and the other small; altogether
I reckoned ten on an area of ground of not more than one hundred acres.
*' One of them, as you proceed southwards from the cross-road, and to the left
of the road, is remarkable not only for the great size of the stones, but for its oval
form and the interior cromlech, the upper stone of which has been cast down, and
is lying in the area of the circle, or rather ovaL There is another circumstance
remarkable in this monument, that the stones comprising it are larger in the
western end of the oval nearest the cromlech, and generally diminish in size, until,
at the eastern end, they are so small as to be almost buried in the soil
"To the S.W. there are two circles adjoining each other, and connected by a
straight avenue of stones. Altogether this is a very interesting vicinity, and worthy
of the more accurate examination of the antiquarian, as, indeed, is the whole north-
western district from Sligo to the point of Erris."
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County of Mayo. 115
After mentioning that there are two raths at Rafran, O'Conor, in the Ord. Surv.
Letters^ says : '* In the same field as one of them there is a monument of huge stones.
There are four on either side, forming, as it were, two walls, without the space
enclosed by which there is a rectangular hole sunk in the ground, with large stones
fixed inside, enclosing it, some of which rise only a little higher than the surface of
the ground Between these two walls, on the S.W. side, an opening is left, as if
for an entrance. As a continuation of these walls towards the N.E. side, there
are isolated stones placed in a circuit which enclose a wide space not separated
firom that enclosed by the two walls just mentioned.''
"There is beside it," adds O'Conor, "another monument which does not
appear to preserve its original form. The stones in it are not so large as those in
the one just mentioned." A comparison of O'Conoi^s indication of the site with
the Ord. Map makes it plain that these two monuments are in the Townland of
Rathfiranpark.
In Carbad Townland are " a great number of large stones, like those which form
the monuments at Rafran, and some of which, it appears, form a group of structures,"
says O'Conor, "not of the 'cromlech,' but of the * grave' appearance. Besides
these, there yet remains here a circular monument composed of large round stones,'
with an open space, apparently for an entrance on the N.E. side of it."
"Another monument of large stones, which seems to have been a sepulchre,'
is placed by O'Conor between KUlcumin and Mullaghnacroise. It is that in the
Townland of Breastagh. Lastly, there are " a few more monuments " on Sunmierhill,
that is to say, those in the Townland of Rafran, or Rathfran itself, called by the
Irish Rathrfrannaighj and, more anciently by MacFirbis, in 141 7, Rath-
Bhrannuib,
O.S.L. Co. Mayo, • , p. 183, et seqq, ** Sketches in Erris and Tirawley,** by Csesar Otway,
p. 204. E. 18
12. "In the Townland of Lacken" were two cairns, one
containing a chamber. There is no Townland bearing this name
in the Ord. Surv. Maps of this vicinity. Possibly the Parish of
Lackan is intended, and, if so, the cairn may be the cairn marked
Cam in the Townland of Carrowcuilleen in Ord. Surv, Map No.
14. There is a Townland called Lackanhill in the same Parish.
0'Conor*s description shows that one at least of the two cairns he mentions at
this place had a chamber in it. It measures 37 paces in length from N.E. to S.W.,
and 29 paces in breadth from N. W. to S.E. There was a round pile of small stones,
more than 5 feet high, upon it, which was surmounted by a stone cross.
Like the Long Barrows of England, and the cairns of Caithness, this cairn
was broader at one end (the N.E.) than at the other. In it there was " a cave,"
that is to say, a passage-chamber. There was an opening into it at the N.E.
or broader end^ where the passage was 2 feet high and 2 feet broad. This passage
led to the centre of the cairn, where a man could stand upright with ease. A
person who entered it about ten or twelve years before O'Conor wrote his
description of it, told him that there was a bone found at the very extremity of
it, but whether it was a human bone he could not tellf
t This should be classed among the chambered cairns.
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ii6 The Dolmens of Ireland.
To the £. of this cairn was a second one, of the same description, measuring
23 paces long by 16 paces broad.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, -^^, p 265.
£. 18
13. In the Townland of Annagh, and Parish of Kilfian,
was a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 14.
*i4. In the Townland of Keerglen, at Doondragon on the
Keerglen river, in the Parish of Kilfian, and due W. of the dol-
men at Annagh, is a site marked Dragons Grave in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 14.
15. "In the Townland of Creeves." There is no Townland
bearing this name in this vicinity in the Ord. Surv. Maps. The
monument, however, bears the name Clocha-breaca, and the field
in which it stands is called Fal na g-clocha-breaca. Close to the
hamlet of Ballyglass (not to be confused with the place of the same
name in the Parish of Doonfeeny, No. i supra), in the Townland
of Ballybeg, and Parish of Rathreagh, a site is indicated in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 14, by a circular enclosure with rocks, and
named Clocka-bracka. The Townland next to that of Ballybeg
on the W. being called Creevagh, I think this must be the monu-
ment indicated in the Ord. Surv. Letters under the name Creeves.
The monument here is described as a '' so-called rath." '< The circle is composed
of earth and stones, the latter of such size as are usual in the megalithic series.
The diameter inside the circle was ten yards. There were one or two sepulchral
monuments attached to the W. side." By these it seems O'Conor means dolmens.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, ^-^, p. 276.
£. 18
16, 17, 18, 19. In the Townland of Belladooan, and Parish of
Kilfian, the name Cromlechs is twice repeated in the Ord. Surv.
Map No. 21, showing that at the time of the Survey there were
four dolmens here at least, and perhaps more. They are situ-
ated on the Belladooan, or Breaghwy river, half a mile S. of
Brideswell, and N. of the Townland of Garranard.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, ~-ry p. 276.
£. 18
20. In the Townland of Cloyrawer, adjoining that of Bella-
dooan on the S„ and in the Parish of Kilfian, is a dolmen marked
Cromlech in Ord. Surv, Map No. 21.
21, 22. In the Townland of Doonanaroo Upper, adjoining
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County of Mayo. 117
that of Cloyrawer on the S.W. and in the Parish of Kilfian,
Cromlechs are marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 21, showing that
there were two at least at the time of the Survey.
The above seven monuments may be called the Breaghwy
River Group.
These must be, I think, the " remains of monuments, some circular, others of
sepulchral form," mentioned by O'Conor as " between Garranard and Brideswell,
close to the Killeen river."
23. In the Townland of Belleek, and Parish of Kilmore-
moy, half a mile S. of Belleek Abbey, close to the river Moy,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord, Surv, Map No. 30. The
old name of the Moy was Sal Srotha Derg.
O'Donovan says that '< on Col. Gore's demesne, on the summit of a hill rising
over the river Moy, there were three upright stones which evidently once supported
a covering-stone." He adds that at the base of the hill was a circle '^ Druidical
or sepulchral," and makes the curious observation that the "base of the hill
was the usual position for the circle."
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, -^, p. 73-
24. In the Townland of Ballina, and Parish of Kilmoremoy,
about half a mile N.N.W. of the town of Ballina, on the right of
the road from that place to Kilmore, is a dolmen marked Fert
Echtra, in Ord. Surv. Map No. 30, called traditionally " Leaba
Liabadoir.'*
"A grave," says O'Conor, "now much destroyed, but of which as much
remains as will satisfy the antiquarian that it is of that class of sepulchres which
were used in Ireland in pagan times, such as the Bed of Callan Mdr, near Slieve
CaUan in Derry." Only the £. side of it remains. It is formed of large stones
laid perpendicularly. The W. side, and the flags which were laid horizontally
from side to side, have been removed, and the interior is filled up with stones and
rubbish.
O.S.Ln, Co. Mayo, ^^i p. 70, et seqq,\ "Carte des dolmens dlrlande,'* Miss M. Stokes
" Revue Archil." for July, 1882.
25. In the Townland of Ballina, and Parish of Kilmoremoy,
about half a mile S.W. of the town of Ballina, at Pipers' Hill, is a
dolmen marked Cromlech {Clochogle) on Ord. Surv. Map No. 30.
This dolmen has been frequently mentioned by different writers. The roofing-
stone is nearly hexagonal in form, and is supported by three stones. One of the
supports having slightly given way, it is nearly horizontal in position. It measures
9 feet long by 7 feet broad. Close to the monument is a fragment of rock, which ha?
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
been blasted by gunpowder, but which, in Col. Wood-Martin's opinion, never had
any connection with the dolmen.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, -^, pp. 73, 78 ; " Stat. Account of Mayo," by McParlan, p. 153 ; Wood-
Martin, R.S.M., p. 235, with illustration ; Feigusson, " R.S.M.," p. 233, with plan.
^^™f?E^^s^ 5r
Fig. 126.— Ballina (the Clochogle). From a photograph,
26. In the Townland of Knockfarnaght, and Parish of Adder-
goole, at the N. end of Glen Nephin, between Nephin Mountain
and the W. shore of Lough Conn, a curious double enclosure
with two circles is indicated in Ord. Surv. Map No. 47, and
marked Knockfarnaght Stone Circles and Cromlech. It lies E. of
the road from Castlebar to Crossmolina.
O'Conor mentions "stone circles and some monuments on Knockfarnaght
HilL"
14
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, rr^^i p. 184.
27. In the Townland of Croghan, and Parish of Killala, half a
mile N.N.W. of Killala; near or in connection with MuUach
Chairn, there were dolmens, Ord. Surv. Map No. 15. See
MuUaghorn Fort in the map near an inlet from Killala Bay, S.W.
of Rathfranpark on the further side of the Palmerstown river.
O'Donovan, who interprets this name "Height of the Caira," speaks of "a
very curious monument here." "It is built like an earthen fort i^ios)^ and has
round stones of very great size placed circularly on its border, where the parapet of
the fort would be. The diameter, within this circle of large stones, which are
placed very — not closely — contiguous to one another, is 78 feet, while the circum-
ference of the circle immediately outside measures 240 feet Between this and
the old road are the remains of a fort, and of some — perhaps sepulchral —
monuments."
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County of Mayo, 119
'' There are more large stones to be seen in the second or third field to the S.,
which belonged to some of those ancient monuments so numerous in the country in
general" By these O'Donovan clearly means there were ruined dolmens here.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, J^-, p. 262.
E. 18
In the Barony of Burrishoole.
1. In the Townland of Rosbeg, and Parish of Kilmeena, on
a spit of land S. of Newport Bay, is a monument marked Dermot
and Grania's Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 76,
*' Two huge standing stones inclining towards each other, which seem," says
O'Conor, ''to be the remains of a Giant's Orave."
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, £~7r» P- ^30*
2, 3, 4. In the Townland of Keeleast, in the Parish and
Island of Achill, N. of Keel Lough, and E. of Slievemore,
one Giant's Grave and two Cromlechs are thus marked in Ord,
Surv, Map No, 42. Near tliem a Tumulus is marked, and the
Danish Ditch.
5. In the Townland of Doogort West, in a narrow portion of
it which extends southward to the northern end of Keel Lough,
and which adjoins the Townland of Keeleast on the W., and
that of Bal of Dookinelly on the E., in the Parish and Island of
Achill, a Giant's Grave is marked in Ord. Surv, Map No. 42, to
the E. of the monuments in the Townland of Keeleast
In the adjoining Townland of Bal of Dookinelly, the cashel
called Slievemore Caher is marked, and also a Pagan Cemetery^
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 42.
The group of monuments, of which the above four dolmens
(Nos. 2-5) form part, extends for three-quarters of a mile from
N.W. to S.E., N. of Keel Lough, through the three Townlands
of Keeleast, Doogort West, and Dookinelly,
From the information contained firstly in O'Conor's letters to the Ordnance
Survey Department, and secondly in Col. Wood-Martin's '* Rude Stone Monuments
of Ireland," it is clear that there were, and still are, many more monuments of the
dolmen and chambered-caim class in these Townlands and on the slope of Slieve-
more than are indicated in the Ord, Surv, Map.
After mentioning the Cathair of Slievemore, O'Conor says, " A short distance
to the S, lies a regular pagan cemetery, but unfortunately, like the Cathair, it is
much destroyed. It was originally a group of square graves formed of large stand-
ing stones, and surrounded with a circle of similar stones. One of these graves
remains in tolerable preservation, but wants the flags by which it was originally
covered overhead. It is 9 feet long by 5 feet 6 ins, broad. Nine stones of
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
unequal breadth and height form it, the largest of which is 5 feet in height over
ground North and south of this are two groups of graves, but so broken that no
dimensions of them could be given.
". . • Northwards of this cemetery, about one-eighth of a mile, on the lands of
Doogort, and about 9 perches from the mearing between Doogort and Dookinallia
Cahy is a most remarkable large grave formed of high thin stones. This has been
also injured, both by the fury of the Atlantic storms and the impiety of man. It
originally consisted of six large flags, of which one called the Liagaun is 8 feet
high, and 4 feet 6 ins. broad, and another 4 feet 6 ins. high, and 9 feet broad (or
long). Another large flag, which was probably the covering, measures 10 feet
6 ins. long and 9 feet broad.
" . . North-West of this Giant's Grave, which is usually called the Liagaun,
^Jr^
^^C5^.
Cdo'
O C^
I^JufcT^^'*'*-
FiG. 127.— Slievemore (monument C). Phn and elevation after CoL Wood-Martin.
about one-eighth of a mile, and on the lands of Keel, is the track of a cloidhe^ or
stone wall, called An Cloidhe LocJdannach* or the Danish Ditch, from an idea that it
was built by the Danes. This claidhe leads to a very curious cromlech lying about
II yards W. of the mearing between Keel and Doogort. It consists of a small
irregular circle formed by sixteen standing-stones. It is 12 feet in diameter.
Immediately S. of this is a large flag covering a square grave, and placed nearly
in a horizontal position. Around this flag are some small pillar-stones.
''Westwards from this cromlech the Danish Ditch becomes again traceable for
* Whatever may be the true ethnological meaning of this name, the popular translation which
tradition has handed down is " Danish."
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County of Mayo. 121
about 20 perches, when it terminates in another cemetery of a similar character, but
much disfigured by the natives, who have converted the square graves into^alfauns,
or lamb-houses. At the VV. side of this group of graves is a small tumulus, hollowed
at top, and containing a few small loose stones in the hollow. This is said to
have been a kiln in ancient times, but I think it a sepulchral tumulus."
The monuments described by Col. Wood-Martin, between forty and fifty years
after this account was written, are the following : —
(A) The Giant* s Grave, about one-third of a mile N.E. of Slievemore Cathair.
Only six stones are in situ. The cist points N. and S. One of the side stones in
a line of three — ^the end one to the N. — measures 8 feet high, 4 feet 4 ins. long,
and 8 inches thick ; the next is 9 feet 9 ins. long, and 6| inches thick ; the third is
3 feet 3 ins. long, and 6i inches thick. Close to these, on the E. are three other
Fig. 128. — Slievemore (monument J.). Fian after Col, Wood-MarHn.
Stones. The first on the S., which was probably a covering-stone, is 10 feet 5 ins.
long, and 9 feet 3 ins. wide ; the second is 5 feet i^ in. long, and 3 feet 9 ins.
thick ; the third is 4 feet 5^ ins. long {i,e. high) by 3 feet 9^ ins. broad.
(B) At a distance of 20 perches S.W. of Slievemore Cathair is the group referred
to by O'Conor as ^'^a regular pagan cemetery." One of the monuments in this is
called dochan-na^stooca—^^ clochan^ " stone-house of the pointed stones." It has
a total length of 200 feet, and terminates at its N. extremity in a circle 8 feet in
diameter, surrounding a stone which was seemingly the covering-stone of a dolmen.
From this two parallel lines of stones, about 10 feet apart, run for 52 feet in a
southerly direction, terminating in an oblong enclosure, adjoining which on the S.
is another quadrangular enclosure (? if not modem), measuring 26 feet 6 ins. by 25
feet 6 ins., and open on the W. side. From the S. W. comer of this square a double
line of stones (only one line remains), curving to the S.W., terminated in another
circle, now destroyed, but extant within the memory of man.
(C) Further to the S.W., within a few minutes' walk, is a very remarkable
monument, a drawing and plan of which, taken from Col- Wood-Martin's work, I
subjoin. Its longer axis is nearly N. and S. It consists of two circles, each about
21 feet in external diameter, the N. one having a central pillar (fallen) 9 or 10 feet
long. These circles are at either end of a dolmen about 17 feet long, covered,
probably, originally by three stones, two of which are still remaining, though
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122 The Dolmens of Ireland.
somewhat displaced The entire monument measures 52 feet 6 ins. long, and is
very similar to one near Lough Arrow, in Sligo, which measures 66 feet long, but
the terminal circles of which are not so large.
(D) Near the last is another monument f in the form of a T, measuring 53 feet
in its longer axis, apparently divided into septa or cists, and possibly throwing out
other arms or brandies. An oval or circular environment of stones seems to have
once surrounded it, and it was probably buried in a cairn. This, too, like the
last, has its counterpart in one of the Lough Arrow monuments.
(£) A short distance from the last are the remains of a circle and alignment of
stones placed contiguously. The whole monument, which is called locally
Tonalcrchay measures 170 feet in length, and points N. and S. The circle, thirty-
two stones of which remain, measures 80 feet in diameter. The alignment, forty-
three stones of which remain, measures 90 faet long, and probably (CoL Wood-
Martin thinks) terminated at the S. end in a second circle.
(F) A quarter of a mile from the last, on the slope of Slievemore, are the
remains of a cist
(G) The next monument is the dolmen (marked CromUac in the Ord. Surv.
Map), near a '' tumulus,*' and the *' Danish Ditch." Four blocks of stone remain,
one of which stands upright, and bears on its outer face four *' cup-markings " in
line, decreasing in size from left to right These blocks form a rude cist, running
S.W. and N.E., and doubtless once covered in by a roofing-stone.
(H) Immediately adjoining this is the dolmen called the Lobby. The cist
runs N. and S., and measures 8 feet long internally. Two covering-stones are in
place, one measuring about 5 feet, the other about 4 feet wide, and thicker than
is usually the case. Near this is a small stone circle, enclosing another.
(I) Close to the circle just mentioned is a cairn which once contained a cist or
dolmen.
(J) The ninth and last monument in this Slievemore, or Keel — Doogort — ^and —
Dookinelly group, is properly speaking, a chambered-caim. It lies about " a quarter
of a mile from Slievemore graveyard, close to the road." '* The interior arrange-
ment is cruciform, the arms being divided into compartments," in some of which
bones have been found by persons searching for treasure. *' These chambers," says
CoL Wood-Martin, '' each side formed by a single flagstone, are nearly square in
shape, being 4 feet 6 ins. by 5 feet in length, and they would seem originally to
have been 5 feet deep. At its S. extremity the figure is terminated by two circles,
the interior one being 10 feet, and the exterior one 21 feet in diameter." From
the plan, this cairn appears to be a circle 100 feet in diameter.
Compartments, such as these in chambered cairns, are frequently found to be
filled with flattish stones, which represent the dibris of the fidlen roof which was
constructed, not of single flags like the dolmens, but of layers of overlapping stones
approaching each other from the sides until one single slab closed in the top.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, ^/^ „, pp. 340, 342, ei seqq, ; Caesar Otway, " Tour in Connaught,** 1839,
ill. lo
pp. 370-372; Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 239-249.
In the Barony of Gallen.
I. In the Townland of MuUagbawny, and Parish of Attymas,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 40.
t This is an example of a chamber-cairn.
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County of Mayo. 123
This is the monument described in the OrA Surv. Letters as on the borders
of the parishes of Attymas and Kilmoremoy, to the S. of the road from Attymas
to Ballina. The name of the monument was Carnan. *^ The stones are set in the
ground on each side and at the ends. On the part to the W. there lies a great
stone horizontally supported by others set under it"
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, j—^, p. 129.
In the Barony of Murrisk.
I. In the Demesne of Westport, and Parish of Oughaval,
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 88.
Among some drawings of Gabriel Beranger, kindly lent me, with others, by Miss
M. Stokes, there is the ground-plan of a monument described as situated near
Westport It is evidently a dolmen-circle.
The plan shows that ten stones of the circle were in place when it was made,
^
40
f
/ — \
\
Fig. 129.— Westport. From apian by Gabriel Beranger,
and there are spaces for at least eight or nine more. They measured from 3 to
6 feet high, and 10 to 12 feet in girth. The covering-stone of the central chamber
was somewhat in the shape of a coffin-lid. It measured 7 feet long, 3 feet 6 ins.
broad, and i foot 9 ins. thick. The supporters, the positions of three of which are
shown in the plan, could scarcely be seen, being choked up with earth and sand.
The space under the covering-stone was opened by the Earl of Altamount (Marquis
of Sligo) in the presence of Mr. Beranger. In it '* were found the bones of a human
body burnt, the jaw of an animal supposed to be a dog, and, with the bones of the
skuU, a white marble ball, very round (li inch in diameter), which those who found
it thought was the sling-stone by which the dead man had been killed. Loose
stones or pebbles, like those used for paving, were laid around in a confused
manner."
Original drawiDgs in a portfolio in the possession of Miss M. Stokes.
*2. In the Townland of Knockfin, and Parish of Oughaval,
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
a site is indicated as Fin MacCoors Grave in Ord. Surv, Map
No. 88. It lies about four miles and a half E.N.E. of the summit
of Croagh-Patrick, and about two miles S.W. of Westport, S. of
the road from that place to Louisburgh.
3. In the Townland of Aillemore, and Parish of Kilgeever,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech on Ord. Surv. Map No. 95.
Mr. Kinahan mentions a dolmen as S. of Louisburgh. Of this very peculiar
Fig. 130. — South of Louisburgh. Elevation and plan after Mr, Kinahan,
Structure I subjoin copies of his plan and elevation. It measures 13 feet long by
4 or 5 feet wide. Three or four layers of flagstones, resting diagonally upon the
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County of Mayo. 125
side-stones of the chamber, approach each other from either side as they near
the top which has been removed* I find no dolmen directly S. of Louisburgh,
marked in OrA Surv. Map No. 96, which includes that part of the country. Four
miles S. of Louisburgh there is a Tobemahaliora^ and a Loughnahaltora. This name
implies the presence of an altar, so called, of some sort, but whether a dolmen, as at
Maulnahaifora in Kerry, or a Christian monument, I cannot say. The '' Lake and
Well of the Altar" are in the Townland of Srahwee, and Parish of Kilgeever.
The dolmen of Aillemore, in OrA Surv. Map No. 95, might be vaguely described
as S. of Louisburgh, but perhaps Mr. Kinahan's monument is neither of the above.
The likeness which, in point of construction, this monument bears to one at Monte
Abrahio in Portugal, to be noticed below, is striking.
In the Barony of Carra.
I. In the Townland of Cogaula, and Parish of Ballintober, in
a piece of rough ground called Lurgaw, is a dolmen marked
Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 89,
This monument is described as a cromlech in the O.S.L., Co. Mayo, _, -, p. 57.
In the Barony of Kilmaine.
1. In the Townland of Carn, and Parish of Ballinrobe, a mile
and a half S.W. of Ballinrobe, and to the E. of Lough Mask, a
cairn is indicated in the Ord. Map, having apparently a stone
structure in it. Perhaps this is a dolmen mentioned by Mc Parian
in his " Survey." The latter, however, which is called by him a
" Druid's Altar," is stated to be within a mile S.W. of Ballinrobe.
If this is correct, it is not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. ii8,
where it should have been, if it was still in existence at the date
of the Ordnance Survey.
McParlan, ** Stat. Survey of the County of Mayo," p. 153.
2. In the Townland of Lackafinna, and Parish of Cong, a cairn
with cave is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 120.
O'Donovan mentions that at Leckafinna, Le. ** White Flagstones," there was a
" curious cave in a tumulus," which may certainly be identified with this.
O.S.L., Co. Mayo, r^^, p. 167.
li. #9
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126 The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF SLIGO.
In the Barony of Carbury.
1. In the Townland of MuUaghmore, and Parish of Ahamlish,
are the remains of a dolmen, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 2.
It is near the coast in the sand dunes.
Two slabs on edge, with a space between, represent one side of it, measuring
10 feet 5 ins. long; while on the opposite, i>. S. side, a single stone, at a distance
of 4 feet 6 ins., represents the position once occupied by the other side.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 154, 155.
2. In the Townland of Creevykeel, and Parish of Ahamlish,
two miles S.W. of MuUaghmore, is a Gianfs Grave, not marked
in Ord. Surv, Map No. 3.
The cist of this dolmen has its longer axis N.W. and S.£. It is broader at the
N.W. than at the S.E. end At the S.E. end an antechamber has been formed,
the entire plan exactly corresponding to that
of the Brenanstown dolmen in the County
Dublin. The cell or chamber measures 5 feet
broad at the N.W. end, and 4 feet 6 ins. at
the S.E. end ; the length is 6 feet 9 ins. Three
sides of it are formed each of a single flag.
The fourth (S.E.) side consists of the partition
stone between it and the antechamber or
portico, together with the end of one of the
slabs forming the S.W. side of the latter.
The breadth of the opening into the ante-
^^^CoLW^Martin!^''^'^ chamber was 3 feet, and a flat stone lymg be-
side it had probably been a roofing-stone. The
floor of the chamber itself was flagged, and '' upon it rested a thick layer of
charcoal, but nothing else." One of these flagstones had cup-markings on its
surface. The stone was 20 ins. long, 14 ins. broad, and 2\ ins. thick.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 152-154.
3. In the Townland of BundufT, near the sea-shore, and the
boundary of the county, that is, the Duff river, is a Giant's Grave,
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 3. It is about a mile N. of
Creevykeel.
This monument lies £• and W. It measures externally 19 feet long, and
intemally 14 feet 6 ins. The breadth extemally is 12 feet, and internally 8 feet
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County of Sligo.
127
at the £. end, and 9 feet at the W, end. The sides are formed of three stones
each, and a single slab having a small stone on either side forms the W. end. At
the E. end is a little gap or entrance between two stones, measuring 3 feet and
2 feet 6 ins. broad respectively.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 155, 156.
4. In the Townland of Cartronplank, and Parish of Ahamlish,
■■'"^QCrZDociscr::?^
D
Fig. 132.— Cartronplank. Plan after CoL Wood-Martin,
is a Giant's Grave, called Tombannavor, about a mile S. of Creevy-
keel, not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps 2 and 3.
This monument measures externally 28 feet long, and internally 24 feet long»
Fig. 133. — Cartronplank, showing the end of the chamber. After a drawing by
Mr, IVaJ^man, in CoL Wood-Martin's R.S.M.
Its external breadth is 14 or 15 feet at the N.W, end, and 12 feet at the S.E. end^
and its internal breadth 8 feet at the N.W. end, and 7 feet at the S.£. end. The
side stones diminish in bulk towards the S.£. end.
There is a partition crossing the chamber, and forming a cell about 8 feet
square at the N.W. end. The two side-stones on either side, which together with
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128
The Dolmens of Ireland.
the partition and the terminal slab form this cell, are of larger size than the stones
•composing the rest of the structure.
The terminal stone at the N.W. end is a thin slab about 9 feet long, and is
taised from the ground at either end by a single low stone or foot, so that an
aperture is formed between the lower edge of the stone and the ground, a feature
noticeable also in the case of a great flat slab which forms the partitional wall in
the long dolmen at Burren near Blacklion, in Cavan. Judging from Mr. Wakeman's
•drawing, I think that the side-stones of an antechamber, of which this raised stone
would form the inner side, extended from the sides of the monument still further N.W.
At the S.£. end there is an aperture about 2 feet wide between two blocks of
stone, and from the £. corner of the monument a line of five stones extend in that
direction.
We may compare the name of this monument with those of Thoompet^s Oil or
the "Giant's Grave" at Killathoomper in Clare, and of Tttaim-an-fhir-mhoire at
Cappanahannagh in Limerick.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 150, 151.
5, 6. In the Townland of Streedagh, and Parish of Ahamlish,
are two dolmens, {a) called the Clocha-Breaca ; {6) in the sands
§^
/
<?
Q
%
a.
o
O
^
^^.
c^.
o^
Q^<P
^
oCP
Fig. i34.~Streedagh {d). Pian after Col. Wood-Martin,
close to the sea, called the Giant's Grave ; neither of them marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5.
O'Conor, in the Ord. Surv. Letters, says, "In Stridagh Townland there is a
xaiseal built partly of stones and partly of earth, within which lies a large stone
which was heretofore supported on three stone pillars, as yet standing. It was a
cromleac."
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County of Sligo. 129
Whether this was a rough description of either of the following monuments
described by CoL Wood-Martin, or a distinct one, I do not know.
(a) "A very curious monument, the boulders forming which are on a mound
of oblong form, about no paces in outside measurement" It appears to be the
ruin of a long doUnen, the long axis of which is E. and W., approached at its W.
end by a double row of stones, the ruins of a passage or avenue running in a
direction N.E. and S.W. The whole was "surrounded by a circle faced with
stones, and measuring 33 paces in diameter." This may have been the caiseal of
O'Conor.
(d) This monument is a most interesting one, and the plan of it given in CoL
Wood- Martin's work most typical, since it combines the characteristics of the con-
centric dolmen-circle with those of the long, wedge-shaped megalithic cist with its
antechamber, and its outer range or ranges of stones parallel with its sides
and ends.
A circle of thirty-one stones (there must have been about forty-four when it
was perfect) with remains of a second circle drawn concentrically within it, surrounds
a dolmen 9 feet long internally; 2 feet broad at the E. end, but widening to 2 feet
6 ins. as it runs W. The longer axis of this chamber is nearly E. and W., perhaps
a trifle N. of W., and S. of E. At the E. end there is a second slab outside the
terminal stone. At the W. end beyond a partition stone are the ruins of the ante-
chamber, whOe on the N. and S. sides the remains of an outer alignment of stones
are distinctly visible.
The external diameter of the outer circle is 36 feet The monument, Col.
Wood-Martin tells us, had been buried in the sand-hills, but, previous to that, it
had been dbturbed and rifled. The bottom of the central cist had been " regularly
. flagged with immense limestone slabs ; there was earth to the depth of 13 ins. in
the interior.'' On examination, human bones, both calcined and uncalcined, were
found — ^the fragments of them being mixed together — ^an indication, so the explorers
thought, that the place had been previously disturbed " The uncalcined human
bones could all be referred to one person, an adult, well developed, with marked
platycnemic tibias, and projecting interfemoral ridges. ... All the bones appeared
to have been broken when in a brittle state, and long after interment They bore
no appearance of having been gnawed by animals."
" There were two lower jaws of a large dog or wolf; also portions of three
lower jaws, beings left sides of jaws, of young dogs or wolves ; the remains of cubs
from one-third to one-half grown, and traces of one of much smaller size ; also a
fragment of the lower jaw of a small rodent and a rabbit ; also gnawed and broken
bones of a goat and of a cow of small size ; a bone of a hare ; several bones of a
fowl, probably goose or swan ; shells of limpets (patella vulgaris) ; a couple of flat-
fish scales, similar to the plates of sturgeon, and a fragment of a bone-pin with
head pierced."
O.S.L., Co. Sligo, =^ , p. 189; Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 146-150.
7, 8. In the Townland of Breaghwy, and Parish of Ahamlish,
are two dolmen-cairns, 300 yards apart, not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 5.
The first of these is described by Col. Wood-Martin as " a grass-covered cairn,
about 100 paces in circumference at base, on the S.S.E. side of which are traces
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
of what appears to have been the entrance to a cist, but which is partially blocked
up." The second cairn lies about 300 yards due S.S.E. of it
Wood-Martio, R.S.M., p. 15a
9. In the Townland of Cloyragh, and Parish of Ahamlish, on
the side of Benbulben mountain, are the ruins of a dolmen not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5. The adjoining Townland
IS called Ardnaglass.
** An arrangement of stones which appear like the vestiges of a rude stone
monument.''
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 158.
ID, II. In the Townland of Clochcor (adjoining that of
Clochboley on the S.), in the Parish of Drumcliff, on Ardtermon
X
Fig. 135.— Clochcor. PJdn after Co/. IVoad-Mariin,
Strand on the northern shore of Drumclifif Bay, two Druidi
Altars are thus marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 7.
One of these is mentioned by CoL Wood-Martin as a megalith which *' appears
originally to have consisted of three lofty uprights surmounted by a covering-slab.
The two pillars which remain are upwards of 19 feet in height above the present
surface of the soil The third has, at some remote period, succumbed either to
violence or atmospheric action, and lies fractured beneath the covering-slab, which
has fallen outwards and to the westward. The greatest length of this slab is
12 feet 6 ins. from E. to W., and it is upwards of 2 feet in thickness."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 142-144.
12. In the Townland of Drumcliff North, and Parish of
Drumcliff, 200 yards from the village, on the N, side of the
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County of Sligo. 131
Cowney — now Drumcliff River — is a Giant's Grave not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 8.
This monument consists of a chamber 35 feet long, running W.N.W. and KS.E.,
about 5 feet broad at the E. end, about 4 feet broad at a point further W., where a
roofing-stone is still in place, and apparently about 6 feet broad at the W. end,
where it is spanned by a second roofing-stone 8 or 9 feet long. The N. side
consists of thirteen stones, and a like number probably composed the S. side, most
of which remain. Rudely parallel with each side of the chamber is a line of stones,
each enclosing, at the W. end, a grass-covered mound These lines are not, I feel
sure, to be regarded as additional chambers, but as the outer ranges of stones,
forming a peristyle around the monument such as we find so clearly indicated
in examples in Cork and Clare.
A curious discovery was made near this monument shortly before 1880. ** In
consequence of the falling of the earthen bank of the river in close proximity to it,
:5-S
Fig. 1 36. —Drumcliff. Fr(m CoL Wood-Martifu
a human skeleton was exposed." This proved to be that of an old woman, and
the length indicated a height of 5 feet 2 or 3 ins. '^ The remains were considered by
Mr. E. T. Hardman to be of the Prehistoric Age," but whether he based his opinion
on the skull form and other indications in the bones, is not stated. ^' When first
discovered, the skeleton was decorated with a bead necklace, which was removed by
the country people ; but as far as could be ascertained, the beads," says Col. Wood-
Martin, '^ appear to have been formed of baked clay, or perhaps steatite, being
described as * marbles such as children play with.* "
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 143, 145-146.
13. In the Townland of Drum East, through which the road
passes from Sligo to Glencar, on the W. side of the road, in the
Parish of Drumcliff, at the foot of Cope's Mountain, is a dolmen
called Giant's Grave, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9.
This dolmen seems to have been completely dismantled. It probably measured
about 25 feet long. Only one covering-stone remains in place. The longer axis of
the chamber is nearly E. and W. There are seemingly traces of outer ranges
of stones.
An excavation made in it produced " a few calcined bones, large fragments of
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132 The Dolmens of Ireland.
charcoal, shells of oysters and cockle, and some uncalcined bones lying together in
a heap, ' for all the world,' as the labourer remarked, 'as if he {ue. the occupant of
the tomb) had been buried in a sitting position.' "
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 139-141.
14. In the Townland of Drumkilsellagh, and Parish of Drum-
^
\
Fig. 137. — Drumkilsellagh. Flan after Col, Wood- Martin,
cliff, overlooking the site of the dolmen at Drum, is a dolmen
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9.
This monument measures about 30 feet long, and consists of what appeared to
CoL Wood-Martin to be two parallel compartments, but of what appears to me to
be a central chamber having on either side an outer range of stones or peristyle at a
distance of some 3 or 4 feet from the lines which form the sides of the chamber.
The monument lies N.W. and S.E., and at the N.W. end the outer ranges are
terminated by lines of large stones, while the entrance to the chamber is left
open. The breadth of the entire monument is about 18 feet, and it widens towards
the N.W.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 141.
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. In the Townland of Kilsellagh, adjoining
that of Drumkilsellagh on the E., and Parish of Drumcliff, is a
dolmen, and near it five cists, which may be classed as small dolmens.
They are not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No 9.
The dolmen at this place is described as similar to that at Drumkilsellagh, and
about the same size. It runs N.W. and S.£.
" Higher up the mountain slope," says Col. Wood-Martin, " there is a singular
arrangement of cists, five in number, and but a few yards apart" They are placed
in line in a direction N. and S. The longer axis of each cist is about £. and W.
Two of them have been explored, and all have lost their covering-stones.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 141.
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County of Sligo. 133
21. In the Townland of Castlegal (locally and properly
Cashelgat), and Parish of DrumcHff, is a dolmen not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 9. This Townland adjoins that of Drum on
the W., Kilsellagh on the E., and Drumkilsellagh on the S., so
that the dolmens in these may be regarded as forming one group.
This monument is in a very dilapidated condition. There are distinct traces,
however, of its having been a dolmen, the long axis of which lay nearly £• and W.
Of the cashd which gave name to the Townland, little now remains, but it must
have been of considerable size, as all the houses in the vicinity are said to have
been built of the stones of which it was composed.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 142.
*22. In the Townland of Keelogyboy, and Parish of Calry, is a
monument of the dolmen class, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 15. It is near the summit of the Keelogyboy Mountain, in a
place called Aultnacaha.
This monument, which I merely place amongst the dolmen series because I
consider it transitional between dolmen-circles and ^' keels," as the later burial-places
were termed, has been fully described by CoL Wood-Martin. It consists of "two
impinging circles," having their longer axis N.W. and S.E. That on the N.W. is
the larger, and is rather ovoid than circular, the pointed end of the egg lying to the
N.W. The longer diameter of this is 20 feet from out to out, and the breadth at
broadest about 1 7 feet It is composed of some 42 contiguous stones, and on
the S.W. side the area is traversed by a line of four contiguous slabs.
The other circle, or rather oval, which joins it on the S.E., measures 10 feet
from N.W. to S.E., and 8 or 9 feet across the centre from NE. to S.W. It
is composed of seventeen stones, with eight others on the S.E. side, which form
portions of a concentric ring. External to this circle, on the same side, is a line of
three contiguous slabs, parallel to those which traverse the larger ring. A line of
four blocks also crosses the area of this circle near the N.W. side. In these lines it
seems to me possible that we have the remains of a dolmen in much the same
position between the circles as a megalith in the island of Achill, which was
described at p. 120.
At all events, at the point of contact of the circles, traces of a rude cist were
apparent, and under a large slab human remains were found which Dr. Frazer, who
examined them, pronounced to be (with the exception of two incisors of large size and
three molars of an adult) all the remains of a child, a discovery which is rendered
singular by the fact that Keel-Oge-Buidhe (J^t^og^hoy) signifies "keel" (or burying-
place) " of the yellow child," or " of fair-haired children," perhaps.
The incisors not having been shed, the age of this child was probably under
seven, to which age also the bones appeared to point. There were in all *^ six molars,
three incisors (one canine), twelve uncut tops of teeth, fragments of child's ribs, two
vertebrae, parts of the skull, one portion of temporal bone, with auditory process,
finger and toe bones, forearm and leg, portions of pelvis— rail in a fragmentary
condition."
With this monument I am inclined to compare that at Killachlug in Cork, p. 32.
Wood-Martin, and Dr. Frazer, R.S.M., pp. 127, 128.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
23, 24. In the Townland of Magheraghanrush, als. Deerpark,
and Parish of Calry, are two Giants^ Graves, the one (A) marked
Druids Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 15 ; the other (B) 300 yards
to the S.W., not named in the Map, but indicated by an oblong
figure. The larger of these, which has been called the Irish
Stonehenge, was known locdlly as " Leacht Con Mic Ruis," and
both as " Giants' Graves."
A. The smaller of the two monuments in this Townland may be compared
with those of Drumcliflf and Drumkilsellagh. " It originally consisted," so Col.
Fig. 138.—" Leacht Con Mic Ruls." Etchtdfrom a photograph,
Wood-Martin thinks, ^' of an arrangement of four almost parallel rows of slabs.
The central space alone now shows traces of having been covered over, and a
displaced covering-flag still remains at either extremity." The longer axis is N.W.
and S.£.
An excavation was made in this monument, and remains of human bones were
found which Dr. A. W. Foot pronounced to be "a portion of an adult (male)
sacrum, some bones of a child, evidences of two individuals besides the child, and
probably of different sexes, a fragment of a platycnemic tibia, and of a pilasteric
femur ; in other words, pieces of very strong bones of an ancient race." " There
occurred also remains of deer and shells from the sea-shore."
Wood-Martin, and Dr. Foot, R.S.M., pp. 138, 139.
B. In ground-plan this monument is a counterpart of that at Ballyglass in the
county of Mayo, and it bears in essential points a resemblance also to the Cloghan
in Glen-Malin in Donegal It is placed on the summit of a rocky eminence rising from
a tract of rough hilly ground enclosed by a wall, and called " The Deer Park." The
ground immediately around it is traversed by lines and dotted with groups of stones
artificially set on end. On the S. side of the hiU, at a distance of a few hundred
yards, is a very perfect cashel^ or stone enclosure, formed by several concentric
circles of banks and walls, in the very centre of which is a small artificial cave.
The view firom the spot where the monument stands is full of interest and beauty*
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County of Sligo. 135
Close beneath lies little Lough Corrigan, and beyond it Lough Gill, with its exquisite
islands. Beyond these to the S.W. stretches out the peninsula between Sligo and
Ballysadare, the central portion of which is occupied by the vast necropolis of
Carrowmore, with its endless variety of sepulchral monument, — cairn, dolmen, circle,
cist, and "fert,"t the occupants of which were either, as some suppose, the
warriors slain in some stupendous conflict, or, which is perhaps more probable, the
inhabitants of the surrounding districts, whose bodies were brought hither, in order
that they might lie, according to custom, as near as might be to the Western OceaiL
Upon these sepulchres falls, as the sun declines, the shadow of the steep and
conspicuous hill called Knocknareagh or Knocknarea, the summit of which is
crowned by the enormous cairn which popular local tradition connects with Medb,
the wife of Ailill, and Queen of Connaught, in the name Misgawn Meave, or
'^ Medb's butter-pan." Beyond this height, sacred to a goddess of the gloom, :{:
lies spread the broad Atlantic
In 1888 I made a plan of this monument, which gives a total length internally
of about 94 feet, with a greatest breadth of 28 feet Since, however, the measure-
ments were somewhat roughly taken, owing to inclement weather, I prefer to
give those which I derive from an accurate survey of the monument made by
Mr. C. B. Jones, M.LC.E., the county surveyor of Sligo, for Col. Wood-Martm's
work, ** Pagan Ireland," and which the latter gentleman has kindly placed in my hands.
My acknowledgments are due also to the late Mr. E. T. Hardman's excellently
illustrated paper on the same subject in the Proceedings of the Hist, and Archs&ol.
Association of Ireland for the year 1879.
The long axis of the monument is nearly due £. and W., with a slight inclination
to bear to the N. of W. and to the S. of E. It consists of a great central area and
three upta^ opening into it by as many stone gateways which are trilitha. Each
septum may be regarded as a dolmen bereft of its covering-stones, and each has
its outer and its inner chamber — its antes and its ceUa^ — to use the terms which
comparison suggests with the classic shrines of Southern Europe.
In the middle of the S. side of the central area appears to have been the original
entrance, several stones of which, as in the similar monument at Ballyglass in
Mayo, still remain. The central area is broader and squarer at the E. end than at
the W., where it takes rather the form of the prow of a ship, narrowing curvilinearly
until it ends in the trilithon which forms the entrance to the single septum. Were
we to compare, as Mr. Hardman does, the whole monument to a cathedral, the
central area would be the nave, the W. septum the chancel, and the W. trilithon the
chancel arch. The two eastern septa would be transepts or mortuary chapels.
The central area is exactly 50 feet long from the face of the W. trilithon to a
stone which occupies a central space between the two trilitha at the E. end. The
width of this area is 25 feet at a distance of 5 feet from the E. end ; 24 feet across
the centre, opposite to the entrance ; and 12 ft. 6 ins. where the curving sides meet
the W. trilithon. The entrance passage from the S. appears to have been 3 ft. 6 ins.
or 4 feet wide.
The ope of each of the trilitha is 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. The height of
the W. trilithon is 5 ft. 6 ins. to the top of the cap-stone, which latter measures
8 feet long. The E. trilitha measure 5 feet high to the tops of their cap-stones.
t A "fert" is properly an enclosed or hedged grave. It is the name (pronounced "fort")
given to numerous kttle enclosures in Sligo and Mayo especially, but indeed in all parts of Ireland
as well. (See Cormac's "Glossary trans. O'Donovan," edit. Whitley Stokes, p. 33.) It is often
used in mistake for the English " tort," a name applied m the northern and eastern parts of Ireland
especially to moats, mounds, and raths.
X See " Rhys, Hibbcrt Lectures," p. 138.
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136
The Dolmens of Ireland.
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County of Sligo.
137
Fig. 140.— Magheraghannish ; West Trili-
thon looking east. Elevation by Mr, C.
B.Jones, M.I.C.E.
Fig. 141.— Magheraghannish ; East Trilithon looking
east. ElevcUum by Mr. C. B. Jones^ M,LC,E,
which are each about 5 feet long. The W. septtim has a total interior length of
22 feet, and a breadth of from 7 to 9 feet. Of the two compartments which
compose it, the E. one measures 8 feet long, the W. one 1 1 feet long. The gap
between the stones which form the partition is 2 ft. 9 ins. wide.
Of the two £. setter the southern measures in the interior 20 feet long by
7 ft. 6 ins. wide. Its W. compartment is 6 feet long, and its E. one 12 ft. 6 ins.
long. The gap between the partition-stones
is 2 feet wide. The northern septum is
imperfect at the E. end, but it seems to
have measured about 25 feet long by 7 ft
6 ins. broad. The length of the compart-
ments is uncertain, but I think that of the
W. one, or ante-chamber, was, like the one
beside it, 6 feet
The entire monument, from out to out, as far as the structural part is concerned,
is as nearly as possible 100 feet long. Added to this, there was a cairn at either
end. A large slab rests against
the outer face of the stone which
forms the end of the W. septum.
Heaps of small stones have been
accumulated against the outer
sides of the stones which form
the central area, and there are
traces of an oblong or rudely oval bank on which, or rather in which, the whole
monument stood. This measures 144 feet long from £. to W., and 59 feet wide
in the centre.
The relative sizes of the stones forming the monuments may be judged by
the plan, and their heights from the etching from a photograph, which is subjoined.
The plan of the septa at the E. end is as nearly identical as possible with that
of the Cloghan in Glenmalin, in Donegal^ where, however, the entire structure
appears to have been buried in a huge cairn of ovate form. All the stones,
according to Mr. Hardman, at Magheraghannish are limestone.
The resemblance of the ground-plan to that of a ship, the single long chamber
at one end representing the prow, and the double ones at the other end the poop,
with its divided cabin, is a feature which has often occurred to me as worthy of
attention. The prow would in this sense be pointing towards the ocean beyond
which lay, according to the pagan mythology, the abodes of the dead. I have also
been inclined to compare its form with that of the great megalithic monument at
Antiquera in S.E. Spain. The name, too, '^ Leacht Con Mic Ruis " {Monument of
Con son of RuSy or Ruth^ or Rud)^ seemed to connect it possibly with the worship
of the sea-deity of that name, the account of whose ship points to the world-wide
myth of the "Vessel of the Dead." However true the ship theory may be,
strengthened as it is by the ship graves of Scandinavia, this latter view rests rather
on fancy than reason, for no tradition carrying with it a Goidelic proper name,
could have reached us from the days when this monument was set up.
Treating the structure comparatively, the septa are simply dolmens allongees^ or
"Giants' Graves." That at the W. end, composed of six slabs on either side, with
a partition, open in the centre in the middle, and an entrance portal at the E. end,
is merely a repetition of such a structure as that at Annacloghmullin in the county
of Armagh (to take an example covered in a tumulus), or of any of the partitioned
dolmens (uncovered) such as that at Carrownagh in the county of Sligo itself
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138 The Dolmens of Ireland.
The oval central area remains to be accounted for. With this we may compare the
circles which in the case of some Scottish monuments, the plans of which are given
by Prof. Anderson, occupy the space between two cairns, the entrances to the
chambers in which open into them from opposite sides. Cut this ^ Deer Park **
monument in two, by a line drawn from N. to S. across the centre of the oval space,
and we form two monuments exactly similar in plan to those at Annacloghmullin
in Armagh,! at Rhinavie, near Strathnaver, in Argyllshire,} and to the "tombeaux
des grants " in Sardinia ; § that is to say, we should have in each case a semicircular
arrangement of stones forming a sort of court, in the centre of the arc of which
would be the mouth of the tomb. That this semicircle formed the si>ace where
some ceremony connected with the dead was performed I feel little doubt. Such
an arrangement is perfectly analogous to that of the semicircular platform in front
of the tablet inscribed with the name of the deceased, and which closes the mouth of
the cave in the hillside in which he is buried, which characterizes the tomb of
the Mongal throughout Central and Eastern Asia. Devotions, invocations^ burnt
sacrifices of things acceptable, may all have been here performed, and offered,
and contact sought with the remains of the dead for purposes of divination and
augury. Viewed in this light, the large open central space was, as it were, the
temple of the dead, at either end of which the pagan devotees sought, as do
Christians to-day, in many a cathedral or church, answers to their prayers for aid
and instruction at the shrine of the particular saint whom the nature of their
necessities requires that they should approach. The trilithons were the gates of
these shrines. And if the opinion which I have here expressed, that these places
were connected with the cultus of the dead, be true, the outer compartment was
the place, crawling into which on his hands and knees, just as Christian pilgrims
were wont to do at the cave at Lough Deig, the pagan devotee lying prostrate
in the Ua^a or bed of some venerated man of old, sought remedies for his malady,
or oracles for his guidance.
This monument has been frequently explored. CoL Wood-Martin states that
'' excavations made by him in the four smaller divisions at the £. and W.
extremities clearly demonstrated the fact that they had been formerly covered like
ordinary kistvams with roofing-slabs, as these were found lying in the ground in a
fragmentary state, when the sod was turned up," a fact which seems rather to
indicate that the roof was that of a chamber, i.e, built of overlapping slabs, as in
the Scottish chambered cairns, at Newgrange, etc., and not formed of fiat
single slabs as in the dolmens proper. ''In these four excavations," he adds,
'' human and animal bones were discovered, all uncalcined, and with them a flint
flake.'' ''Explorations in the central enclosure were not attended with equally
decisive results ; for although in two instances some traces of osseous remains were
found, yet in other spots the soil seemed undisturbed/'
"In 1884 the Rev. James Graves made a slight excavation," when osseous
remains were found both of animals and human beings.
Mr. Millingan also made excavations in the interior of the structure at three
different places, and "in every instance found a quantity of human bones
together with those of animals."
With regard to the bones found in the W. septa by Col. Wood-Martin, it is
stated, on the authority of Dr. Foot, that " they proved to be mostly human and
imcalcined, some being bones of a young child, and others those of an old man.
There were also a great many bones of deer, all uncalcined. There was no sign of
t Vide infra ; in voc, % Vol. on the Stone and Bronze Age, p. 261.
§ Vide infray where plans are given.
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CouNTV OF Sligo. 1 39
fire on any. Among them were bones of birds, the tooth of a horse (?) shells of the
Hdix^ and a flake formed of dark-grey flint. From the labourers engaged on the work
the information was gathered that two small heaps of stones lying close to the central
(portion of the) monument had originally formed a part of it, but, being scattered in
confusion, were carted away by the owner of the land."
Journ. H.A.A.I. (1879), vol. i. p. 57 ; Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 130, 138. See also " Pagan
Ireland," by the same author.
25. In the Townland of Abbeyquarter, and Parish of Saint
John's, IS a dolmen circle. It is within the limits of the Borough
of Sligo, close to the river on the S., and is indicated by a circle
of dots, but not named in Ord. Surv. Map No. 14.
'^ This circle of boulders is nearly perfect, forming a ring on a raised mound 65
feet in diameter. The inside surface is perfectly level. On the N. there are two
stones, seemingly the remains of an inner circle." There are several gaps in the
ring, one of which is on the N. side, immediately opposite the two stones. Three
large boulders, which CoL Wood-Martin thinks may have been rolled out of their
place in the circle, have somewhat the appearance of the commencement of an
avenue leading up to it. A little N. of the centre, two stones are to be seen which
seem to have formed a portion of a dolmen or cist. One of them is a flat slab ; the
other, seemingly, a supporting stone. An excavation at the foot of the latter
disclosed "traces of the flooring of the cist, upon which were some bones, the
greater portion of which were calcined" This cist was. Col. Wood-Martin thinks,
only ^' a division, or septum," of the original structure.
Dr. Frazer states that the discoveries consisted of 1} lb. of calcined bones,
seemingly all human, but in a very fragmentary state ; 2^ ozs. of uncalcined human
bones ; three molars, and one incisor tooth of a young person ; the tooth of a gpat,
and another, probably of a dog ; also bones of goat or sheep."
This circle, in point of its standing on a bank, of the contiguity of the stones,
and their number, and of its diameter, may be compared with one on the island of
Inishowen, or Ennishowen, in Lough Mask.
Wood-Martin and Dr. Frazer, R.S.M., pp. 124, 125.
*26. In Cottage Island, Lough Gill, in the Parish of Saint
John's, are the remains of a dolmen (?), not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 15.
CoL Wood-Martin speaks of this as '* a curious arrangement of stones," possibly
the dtbris of a dolmen.
R.S.M., pp. 125-127.
27. In the Townland of Drumnaskibbole, and Parish of Saint
John's, is a dolmen called Giant's Grave and Tumban, on the road
from Ballysadare to Sligo, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 14.
This dolmen had been once a " fine specimen of an elongated cist, apparently-
divided into four septa or compartments. Its longer axis, measuring about 25 feet,
is approximately £. and W., its average width being 15 feet" Calcined and
uncalcined bones, and a piece of quartz, had been found among the dtbris thrown
out of it
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 198.
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I40 The Dolmens of Ireland.
*28. In the Townland of Breeoge, and Parish of Kilmacowen,
on the island, or, rather, peninsula of InishhuUion, als. Inishmore,
on the northern shore of Ballysadare Bay, is a dolmen-circle not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 20.
'* A small circle, composed of earth and stones, 21 feet in diameter, a few paces
distant from which is an erratic boulder, which, to judge from present appearances,
may perhaps have formed the covering-stone of a cromleac."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 193, 196.
29. In the Townland of Primrose Grange, and Parish of
Killaspugbrone — at the foot of Knocknarea — is a dolmen-circle,
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 14.
" On a spur of the hill is a rude circle, with a central cist"
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 197.
30, 31. In the Townland of Knocknarea, and Parish of Killas-
pugbrone, on the summit of the mountain, are the remains of at
\
Fig. 142.— Killaspugbrone. Plan after Col, Wood-Martirt,
least two dolmen-cairns, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 14.
They lie to the S. of the great cairn of Misgawn Meave.
These are among the smaller remain^ which lie about the base of the great
cairn.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 108-113.
32. In the Townland of Killaspugbrone, near Strandhill House,
and the old church of Killaspugbrone, is a Giant's Grave called
Labbynawark, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 14.
This monument measures 21 feet long by 6 feet broad. " It appears to have
been originally divided into two compartments of equal size, but the W. one is
formed of the largest stones, and is in the best state of preservation. The head-
stone of this cist is 4 feet 2 ins. high on the inside ; that on the N. 4 feet ; that on
the S. 3 feet 9 ins. \ the remainder of the stones scarcely average 2 feet in height.
The slabs appear as if either quarried, or, at all events, selected with great care."
The longest axis is N.W. and S.K The S.W. slab of the larger chamber measures
9 feet 5 ins. long.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 197.
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County of Sligo.
141
33. In the Townland of Cloverhill, also Knocknashammer,
Fig. 143.— Cloverhill. Flan in Col, Wood-Mariin's Fig. 144.— Sculptured stone from Clover-
R,S.M. hill. From a drawing by Mr, Waketnan^
in Col, Wood-Martin's F.S.M,
and Parish of Kilmacowen — adjoining Carrowmore on the S.E.,
and at a distance of 200 yards
from Laghtareal Hill (see be-
low) — not marked on Ord.
Surv. Map No. 14.
This must be classed as transitional
between a dolmen and a chambered
tumulus. From information he re-
ceived on the spot, CoL Wood-Martin
does not think that there is any proof
that the monument was surrounded by
a stone-circle, as supposed by others
who described it ** The first intima-
tion of the existence of the chamber
was in about the year 1830, when the
plough came in contact with the ' im-
mense flag' which originally covered it,
and which was itself covered with a
Fig. 145.— Sculptured stone in chamber. Clover- mound of earth." The ground-plan of
hUl. J^ron.aJnn^nrh'Jifr. WaMcmanmR^.M. ^^^ ^^^ ^^ chamber, shows that it was
of somewhat oval, or rather horseshoe form, since the stone which may be supposed to
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142
The Dolmens of Ireland.
have closed one end is absent The stones are contiguous, and average about 4 feet
high. There are four on either side, which curve round so as to form an oval, a
single flat-fronted slab closing the inner end This chamber was entirely flagged at
the bottom, and it is upon the inner faces of five of the stones which surround it
that the carvings are found. Another and smaller cist immediately adjoins it, the
floor of which was merely an earthen surface. The larger chamber measures 5 feet
9 ins. long by 3 feet 6 ins. broad, and consists, as we have seen, of nine stones,
'^ for it is not thought that one situated to the S. of the entrance originally formed
part of the structure." The longer axis of the cist is E.N.E. and W.S.W. In the
Fig. 146. — Sculpturings two of on the stones at Clover-hill.
Fhnn drawings by Mr, Wakeman in KJS.M,
chamber were calcined bones and a cinerary urn. It is not known what became of
the latter. A bronze implement was discovered in the bog in the immediate vicinity
of the grave. The cist has its exact counterpart in form in one at Eguilaz in the
Basque Provinces. ( Vide infra,)
Col. Wood-Martin thinks it possible that a bronze brooch-pin which was in
the possession of Petrie, and said to have been found in a cinerary urn at Carrowmore,
was found here.
R.S.M., pp. 92. 98.
34-99. In the Townland of Carrowmore, and Parish of Kil-
macowen, are, or were, at least 65 dolmen-circles here indicated in
Roman numerals (I — LXV) — to distinguish them from other monu-
ments included by Petrie — 44 of which latter are indicated in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 14, in a site marked Sepulchral Stone
Circles, including one (No. 13 in list) marked Druicts Altar, and
the cairns of Listoghil, and Laghtareal. There were originally
many more. In the same Townland is an extensive "Caltragh."
The peninsula in which the series of monuments now to be described lies was
anciently called Cuil-irra. Under this latter name were included the parishes of
Saint John's, Kilaspugbrone, and Kilmacowen. Carrowmore is traversed by the
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County of Sligo. 143
road from Sealield to Sligo. To the north, and adjacent to Carrowmore, lies the
Townland of Tobemaveen, and beyond it to the N.W., on the other side of the
road from Rathcarrick to Sligo, that of Bamasrahy. To the S. of Carrowmore are
the Townlands of Graigue on the W., and Cloverhill on the £. In each of these
neighbouring lands some examples of the series called the " Carrowmore group "
occur.
" There can be little doubt," says Col Wood-Martin, " that the following account
of the excavation of a *tomb' by Mr. R. C. Walker, given by Sir William Wilde,
relates to one of the Carrowmore series,"
" The centre of a large cairn was occupied by a cist or tomb, which contained
the remains of a great number of skeletons, some evidently burned, and others
exhibiting no traces of fire. One of the stones which formed the side of this cist was
16 feet in length, and about 6 feet in breadth. In it were found six different human
interments, which occupied the K and W. ends, the centre part being unoccupied.
The bones were not contained in urns, but were collected together in small heaps
that rested upon the freestone-flag, which invariably formed the bottom or floor of
the inner tomb. Large bones, those of arms, legs, and thighs, covered the half-
caldned remains of smaller bones, and the skull surmounted the little pyramids
thus formed. Round the margin of each heap was collected a quantity of bones of
birds, and of some of the lower mammalia, together with a number of small shells,
principally of the land Helix. Each of these six interments was kept distinct,
and surrounded by small freestone flags. No weapon or ornament of any kind was
discovered in the tomb."
" Beauties of the Boyne and Blackwatcr," by Sir W. Wilde, p. 234 ; R.S.M., pp. 17, 18.
N.R — ^The ordinary numerals in the following list are those in Petrie's descriptive
list supplied to the Ordnance Survey in a letter to Capt (afterwards Sir Thomas)
Larcom, dated August 12th, 1837. Where a letter is added to the number, as iia,
the monument is not in Petrie's list. The additional information has in each been
supplied by Col. Wood-Martin, in his ''Rude Stone Monuments of Ireland."
P. stands for Petrie; W.M. for Wood-Martin. The Roman numerals are mine,
and represent the sum total of all the monuments of the dolmen class in the group.
MS. ••Letters," Ord. Surv. Co. Sligo, _-'-i-, p. 433, et stqq. ; R.S.M., p. 13, et seqq,y and
map, p. 15. F« 14
L No. 1 (dolmen-circle), ** the most western of the chain of circles N. of the road
leading from Seafield to Sligo."
"This forms an elevated platform, and has an inner circle of smaller stones with
a broken cromleac in the centre. The stones of the outer circle, which is 40 feet
in diameter, are of very large size, and 35 in number ; but two of them have fallen
from their places. Bones were found beneath the cromleac." — P.
" The elevated platform is several feet above the surface of the surrounding soil,
rising as much as 6 feet to the W. The outer circle is 43 feet in diameter, and is
formed of 36 stones. There were 25 of the stones of the inner circle. One support
of the cromleac was in situ. An excavation was made to the W. of this, and a few
inches beneath the surface some greyish-white, and seemingly highly calcined
fragments of bone, were dug up. Dr. Frazer pronounced them to be all human,
and identified parts of a skull, and thigh and leg bones. With the calcined remains
was discovered the upper portion of a rude pin seemingly made of horn, in several
fragments. A larger fragment may have formed part of a larger pin or small
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144 The Dolmens of Ireland.
dagger. There was a semicircular piece of a bone object, and two small portions
of an urn."— W. M.
MS. " Letters," /<;f. cii,; R.S.M., pp. 19-21.
II. No. 2 (i) dolmen-circle, 6 paces to the £. of the last.
" It is 52 feet in diameter. The stones are of great size, but the greater number
of them have been removed to an adjoining wall. Human bones have also been
discovered within this circle." — P. "Traces of this monument have almost
entirely disappeared."
MS. "Letters," loe. cit; R.S.M., p. 21.
III. No. 2 (2) dolmen-circle.
"The owner of the field in which the two last circles are situated recollects
to have seen 5 large upright stones in a group at a distance of about 40 feet to
the S.E. of the second circle, and which were removed to form the wall along the
roadside, which is chiefly composed of such large stones. These were unquestion-
ably the upright supporters of the cromleac of another circle." — P.
MS. "Letters," ii7f.<ri?.
IV. No. 3 (i) (dolmen-circle, a few paces E. of II.). " This circle is 40 feet in
diameter, and consists of 34 stones, of which 4 have been displaced. The cromleac
remains, but the upper stone has been thrown off its supporters. It is only 4 feet
long, i^ foot thick, and 12 feet in circumference. Mr. Walker had the chamber
of this cromleac searched, and found an interment within it. This circle appears
to have had an outer one of very large stones, 12 in number, but only 6 of them
now remain." — P.
" The cist in this circle is of the figure-of-eight pattern " [that is to say, it is a
double one], having a longer axis S.S.E. and N.N.W. The circle round it
measures 42 feet in diameter. "One flag, evidently a covering-stone, remains;
but it is partially sunk into the chamber, the side-stones of which average about
3 feet 6 ins. in depth." An excavation was made, and was " carried down to the
flagged floor of the cist, traces of which were apparent." " Abundant calcined
and uncalcined remains were brought to light, as well as three stone-beads, and
a pendant formed of a natural quartz prism, clear as glass, through the amorphous
end of which a hole had been pierced for suspension. This hole was, on both
sides, considerably wider externally than in the centre, showing that it had been
bored with rude appliances. ... It appeared to have been submitted to intense
heat, for, on lifting it, part of the extremity of the prism flaked off when
touched."— W. M.
Besides this amulet of quartz, there was found in this cist "a stone bead
formed of steatite, somewhat round in form, of a whitish colour, and highly
calcined, and a second bead, also formed of steatite, and highly calcined, but smaller
and more elongated in shape, having the diameter of the perforation equal
throughout, which is not the case in the rounder beads, where the orifices are
larger than the central portion of the hole. Bluish stains in these beads result
from the presence of phosphate of iron from the calcined bones. A third bead
resembling the first is formed of a stone of a yellowish-brown colour. It is
pierced with a hole, in which the marks left by the rotatory motion of the imple-
ment, with which it was pierced, are distinctly visible. It did not seem to have
been affected by intense heat, as the others had. The material was steatite." — W, M.
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County of Sligo. 145
In shape this bead resembles precisely one found by me in a tumulus at
Ballowal in West Cornwall. The form, too, of the quartz pendant is similar
to that of a stone pendant, found also by me, together with blue barrel-shaped
vitreous beads, in a cairn at Boscregan in the same district In the latter cairn,
together with the beads and pendant, was a little button with two perforations
joining in the centre, formed of steatite (see " Archseologia," vol. xlix. p. 189).
" Steatite is found at Crohey Head in Donegal, and also in Antrim. In addition
to the beads, several fragments of bone pins were found in this cist. One of them
— ^the upper portion, which exhibits a head carved into a mushroom shape — ^is in
a petrified state. Another fragment is perhaps the curved point of the same pin.
Another piece is curved and polished, and a fourth is the tapering portion of
a straight implement There was also a completely petrified portion of bone
like a spear-hcad, artificially dressed at the point, possibly used as a whet-
stone."— W. M.
**This tomb was the richest in relics of the entire series. The uncalcined
remains, considered to be human, included a metatarsal bone of the left foot,
a portion of a cervical vertebra, a piece of a radius (fore-arm bone), a piece of a
dorsal vertebnu There were also uncalcined bones of animals, birds, and fish
(gurnard). The calcined remains consisted of about 28 lbs. of small fragments
of bones, so saturated with lime salts that many were completely petrified.
Numerous pieces were charred, and coloured bluish grey or black from the action
of fire. There were many fragments presenting crack-like marks, but none
distinctly human. There were also (a) fragments of bones not human, mostly
small portions of the skulls of pigs ; (d) nine pieces of petrified bone, and one
charred lump; (c) a smooth, flattish, circular stone, very dark in colour, similar
to, but smaller than one found in No. 4 monument (see infra). This stone
weighed i oz. 3 drms. 50 grs. It was if of an inch long, i^ of an inch broad,
and i inch thick." A similar disc was found with an urn at Rathbarran.
With the form of the double cist in this monument we may compare such
structures as those of Amasbrack, Carrownagh, etc It appears to me not im-
probable that a line of cists, of which these two are the inner ones, terminated at
the S.S.E., in the ring surrounding this cairn.
MS. " Letters," /ac. cit, ; R.S.M., pp. 21-23, and 28-30.
V. No. 3 (2) (dolmen-circle, between Nos. IV and VI). "Between the
circles Nos. 3 and 4 there are several upright stones, forming a curved line, and
apparently, or, as I might say certainly, the remains of another circle." — P. No
remains of this exist
MS. "Letters," ioc. eit, ; W.C.B. Note-book, 1888.
VI. Na 4 (dolmen-circle, a short disUnce to the N.E. of the last). "This
circle is in part destroyed, but the cromleac is untouched. The diameter
of the circle is 40 feet, and the number of stones appears to have been forty,
but twenty-one only remain. The cromleac of this circle is a good example
of the size most common to such monuments in Carrowmore. It is formed
of five supporting-stones, and one table-stone. It measures altogether not more
than 5 feet in height, and the table-stone is 14 feet in circumference." — P.
The circle had, when Col. Wood-Martin visited it, been buried by the tenant,
except one boulder. On excavation, " near the surface were the unburnt remains
of a wolf or dog, and of a large rodent. When the flagged floor was
reached . . . there were abundant traces of calcined remains, some imperfect
VOL. I. L ,
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146
The Dolmens of Ireland.
bone pins and piercers ; also a worked bone, seemingly the handle of some
implement. The animal bones, of dog or wolf, and rodent, were unbumt and
unpetrified, and, from their colour, had evidently lain in clay, the humus still
^-'-^^^Jt-W-
Fig. 147.— Carrowmore (VI). From an original sketch by Petric,
adhering to them. There was about 14 lbs. weight of small fragments of bone,
lime-soaked, and therefore much increased in weight and density. Many of them
were charred and blackened by fire." — W. M.
With these remains was found a ^' large, roundish stone of white quartz, smooth,
and weighing 14^ ozs. It is 3 inches long, the same
broad, and i| inch thick ; also a smooth, black,
cuneiform stone, with a thin coating of carbon, weigh-
ing 13^ ozs., and measuring 2)4^ inches long, \\^ inch
broad, and f of an inch thick; also a piece of
rough white quartz of rudely triangular form, with
some of its edges sharp; also some pieces of red
sandstone in process of disintegration. There were
also, in the general mass of small fragments, a few
teeth of a young pig, bird bones, part of the valve
of a shell, and half of the lower jaw of a rabbit" —
W.M.
VII. No. 5 (dolmen-circle, N.E. of VI, at a
distance of 14 paces). "Of this circle only eight
stones remain in their original positions, and the cromleac is entirely destroyed.
The diameter was about the same as that of No. 4." — P.
No traces of it now exist, unless in the boundary fence. — ^W. M.
MS. "Letters," A»r.«V.
VIII. No. 6(1) (dolmen-circle). The situation of this is marked by a gravel-pit
N.E. of VII. "This circle and cromleac were destroyed about the year 1815,
in raising gravel" — P.
MS. " Letters," /«•. at.
IX. No. 6 (2) (dolmen-circle, between the gravel-pit and X). " Several very
large stones, which there can be but little doubt belonged to another circle." — P.
MS. «* Letters," loc, cit.
Fig. 148. — Ground-plan of VI.
After Col, Wood-Martin,
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County of Sligo.
147
X. No. 7 (i) (dolmen-circle) : to the N.E. of 6. This was called Leaborna-bh-
Fian (Bed of the Fian, or Warriors) ; now called the Kissing Stone. ** This circle
and its cromleac are perfect Its diameter is 37 feet, and the number of stones 32.
The cromleac is about 8 feet high, the table-stone resting on six stones. It is
.^r^i^'Zy^
Fig. 149. — Carrowmore (X). From an original sketch by Fttrii,
9 feet long, and 33 feet in circumference. The situation of this circle being
on the ridge of a hill, gives it a very striking and picturesque eflfect" — P.
" Of the entire series, this is undubitably the finest and best-preserved cromleac
and circle . . . The porch-like entrance is very remarkable." — W. M.
It was possibly a similarly porch4ike appearance which caused the Portuguese
09
Q
o
Ci
Q
e^
a
'i
^*i,
O
boflc^'^
"C>F
o
Fig. 150. — Carrowmore (X). From apian in Col, Wood-MarMs R.S,Af,
to call a dolmen an Anta, anta being the name of the porch of the Roman
temples, adiculi^ and cella memoria^ or shrines of the dead. Such structures were,
according to Vitruvius, divided into the ceila^ which was the inner, and the anta^
which was the outer portion.f In regard to the size of this dolmen, CoL Wood-
Martin remarks that it is the only one which can be " entered in a semi-upright
t See this question discussed below, under the dolmens of Portugal.
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148
The Dolmens of Ireland.
position." The same writer appends the results of excavations conducted by him
in the dolmen itself.
" It had evidently undergone a thorough clearing out before. The soil,
however, was well resitted, and the comers and crevices carefully examined.
A couple of stones of the flagging still remained in position at the angles. Here
were found 80 small fragments of bone, greyish-white in colour, possibly calcined.
'**'*<f'i
Fig. 151. — Carrowmore (X), the dolmen. From an original sk€ich by Petrie,
Amongst these was the tooth of a young pig, one valve of a mussel shell, one valve
of a cockle shell, two small shells of the genus Helixy several portions of other
shells, and a remarkably fine specimen of a ' thumb-flint/ " by which Col. Wood-
Martin means a flint flake such as would have done for a ** strike-a-light" It is very
similar, indeed, to one found by
me under a small dolmen among
an immense quantity of burnt
A j/^^^\:*^i^- 1 human bones, in a tumulus, once
4- y^ /'A L *'".^ / probably encircled, near the
Rosemoddress circle and Boleit
menhirs in West Cornwall (See
my "Noenia Cornubiae," p. 109.)
Flint is foreign to the district of
Cuilirra, but is found in Antrim,
Down, and Londonderry.
On looking at the ground-
: plan of this dolmen-circle, it may
occur to others, as it occurs to
me, that there are indications
that a passage may, and pro-
bably did once lead into the
dolmen from the S.E. side of the
outer ring, a proof that it was
not intended that the dolmen
should be wholly closed up in its
cairn.
MS. *• Letters," ioc, cit. ; drawings of it at pp. 437 and 438 ; R.S.M., pp. 35-36.
XL No. 7 {2) (dolmen-circle between X and No. 8). " Several large stones
which appear to be the remains of another circle."
MS. "Letters," /<v.nV.
Fig. 152.— Carrowmore (X), the dolmen.
/%wi a/Her Col, Wood-MarHn.
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County of Sligo. 149
No. 8 (Caltragh or sepulchral rath), further to the N.E., and W. of the road.
'^ This circle is 90 feet in diameter, and is most probably sepulchral, though it
has somewhat the appearance of a fort, or raheen, the surrounding stones being
nearly buried in a clay bank. There are no remains of a cromleac in it" — P.
" One side has been nearly all removed." — W. M.
MS. " Letters," loc, cit, ; with a sketch, p. 436 ; R.S.M., pp. 31-34.
Petrie caUs this a *' Fort, or Raheen.'' It is a monument of the same kind as the
so-called Cealluras, Keels, and Killeens of other parts, but the fact that it is surrounded
by stones nearly buried in the bank seems to mark it as transitional between the
stone-circle and the earthen enclosure. " A peasant in the neighbourhood stated
that in his youth old people used to recount how, on certain nights in the year,
lights were to be seen in this ^ ould fort,' and noises heard as if contending armies
were engaged in fray. This legend is by no means peculiar to Carrowmore, but is
to be met with in nearly every district in Ireland." I discovered a very remarkable
instance of its existence in ComwalL Lights were said to come out of a great pile
of stones on the summit of the cliff at Ballowal, over Cape Cornwall, and to dance
around it This pile was apparently composed merely of mine refuse ; but, on
excavating it (being led to make trial of it by the legend), I found this only to be a
surface-coating, and the whole of the interior to be occupied by a vast sepulchral
cairn, containing a dolmen, stone cists, and a double-walled dome. So constant
had been the tradition of fairy-lights coming out of it that people of the elder
generation were afraid to pass it at night
In Ireland the " little people " of two neighbouring forts or iis^s were said
to quarrel. Their battles took place by night, and the name Lisnascragh, or
Fort of Screeching — ^given to several forts (according to Dr. Joyce), in the N, of
Ireland, was said to be derived from the noises they made. From the candles
shining in them the names of some of these places, namely, Lisnagannell and
Lisnagunnell, were popularly, but erroneously, derived.
In Japan, the battles of the Kami,t or ancestral spirits, otherwise called
Shinto, the exact parallels of the Lappish Sitte, the Irish Sidhe, and the Norse
Elves, are said to take place with great noise in the air, and the stone arrow-heads
found on the sea-shore after a storm are said to be those discharged in the conflict
CoL Wood-Martin is inclined to regard monuments of the class of No. 8 as the
fcrta of the mediaeval books, and a passage in the Book Armagh speaks of " the
circular ditch, like to a fert^ in which the Scotic people and Gentiles used to
bury their dead," as equivalent to what the Christian Irish called a " Releg "
(Lat rdigma\ which was certainly, in some cases, an enclosure round a
t This word JCami is, I think, connected with the Bear and the worship of that animal among
almost all the peoples bordering on the Arctic Ocean. It would have reached Japan through the
Ainos of Yesso from the Kams<»dal promontory, where the word actually means *' bear " (see my
"Niphon and its Antiquities," 1876, pp. 21, et seqq.).
There is evidence of the worship of die Bear among the Lapps and Finns of Northern
Scandinavia and Finland. Both these people called themselves Samelat, or, more correctly,
Suomalaiset, i,e, Suoma-men. Now, among the Samoyedes, whose language is r^arded as a
classic type of Finno-Ugric speech, Suam, or sotitt is a '* bear," so that Suoma-men would be
*' Bearmen," and Othere was probably only translating for Alfred the name of the natives for them-
selves when he spoke of the Biormas, or '* Bear-men," who dwelt on the White Sea. A great festival
to the Bear-god was held annually by nearly every nation of the North, accompanied by rites
comiected with the worship of ancestral spirits. In Ireland the festival Samhain was the counter-
part of this, as far as the worship of the Sidhe or ancestral spirits went, and, considering the many
points of similarity between Finnic and Irish folk-lore, and the brachycephic skulls found in Irish
tumuli, I am inclined to think that a Finnic element once existed in Ireland, and . that in the
name Samhain we have no mere *< end of summer," as the word has been explained, but a survival
of the Same cultus of the Finno-Ugric peoples.
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150 The Dolmens of Ireland.
cemetery, as at Glendalough, in Wicklow. I should be more inclined, however,
to regard a ''fert'' as one of those smaller earthen rings, some 10 feet in internal
diameter, which are to be found plentifully in many parts of Ireland, and examples
of which occur between Carrowmore and Knocknarea. They are held in great
reverence by the peasantry, supposed to be sepulchral, and are never disturbed.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., p. 37.
XII. No. 9. " Still further to the N.E." (dolmen-circle ?). " This circle consisU
of ten remarkably large stones, and it may be doubted if there were ever more than
twelve originally. The diameter is 42 feet"— P.
** There are no traces of a cromleac," but in the plan given by Col Wood-
Martin, two stones, a large and a small one, are shown about 20 feet N. of the
circle.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., p. 38.
XIII. No. 9A. N.W. of XII (dolmen-circle ?). This is not mentioned by Petrie.
''It is now represented by five stones; but, to judge by these, it must have been
one of the largest of the series." — W. M.
There seems no trace of a dolmen left. The diameter was about 75 feet (out
to out).
R.S.M., p. 38.
XIV. No. 10. Situated N.E. of XII (dolmen-circle). "This circle is in part
destroyed, but from the portion which remains it appears to have been one of the
grandest of the whole series. As in the case of XII, it seems to have consisted of
only twelve stones, of which eight remam, and are of unusually great size. The
diameter of the circle was 75 feet. The cromleac, now quite ruined, was of
corresponding magnitude, and an interment was found beneath it"— P. and W. M.
CoL Wood-Martin's plan shows only seven stones of the ring remaining, and one
small one lying S.E. of the centre.
• MS. •• Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., pp. 38, 39.
XV. No. II (i). Situated S.W. of XIV (dolmen-circle). "Of this circle, four
stones only now remain in their original position. The remainder, with the
cromleac, were destroyed or removed by the peasant who holds the ground, about
five years ago"— x>. five years before 1837.— P.
MS. "Letters," Av.«V.
XVI. No. II (2). " Between XV and the road" (dohnen-circle). "There are
several very large stones here, which, with others that were blasted, formed,
according to the peasantry, another circle." — P.
N.R — "Here the chain of circles towards the N. appears to have ended,
and the next examined were those situated to the £. of the road from Sligo
towards the S." — P. (See, however, below under XVII.)
MS. •• Letters," Av.«V.
XVII. No. iiA. About 100 yards to the N.E. of XIV (dolmen-circle and
cairn?) "Unnoticed by Petrie. It is about 55 feet in diameter, and appears
to have consisted of two concentric circles. Only two of the stones remain in
situ. The diameter of the inner circle is 23 feet The space between the
circles is hollowed. Near these remains, towards the centre of the field, is a small
cairn, possibly formed in clearing the field." — W. M.
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County of Sligo.
151
Here rather than at XVI the N. chain of circles ended. In Col. Wood-
Martin's plan it should be 11 a, not ioa.
R.S.M., p. 39.
XVIII. No. 12. Situated near the road, and E.N.E. of XIII (circle with cist
or small dolmen). '' This circle is composed of small stones mixed with earth,
and is 40 feet in diameter. There is a stone sepulchre in the centre, but no
cromleac." — P. This implies that Petrie considered this as a transitional monument,
neither a dolmen-cairn nor a cairn with cists.
" The whole is now so covered with sod that it might pass unnoticed but for
Petrie's description of it" — ^W. M. The plan of this monument shows three
concentric circles of small contiguous stones, built with the regularity of a well-
built stone fence, the outermost ring facing outwards, the two inner ones inwards.
MS. " Letters,*' loc. cU, j R.S.M., p. 40.
XIX. No. 1 2 A. "Not far off No. 12, and lying between it and the Cal/ragh'*
(No. 60) (dolmen-circle). ^ Seemingly the traces of another circle." — ^W. M.
R.S.M., p. 40.
XX No. 13. Situated to the S.K of XI but "on the opposite side of the
road" (dolmen-circle). It is the first dolmen seen by the traveller on the road
- _.-«s5^^-
^^'^'^s.f*^^^:^
Fig. 153.— Carrowmore (No. 13). From an original sketch by Petrie,
from Sligo to Carrowmore. " This circle has been destroyed by the road passing
through it, but the cromleac remains, and is a fine monument of its kind. The
table-stone is 20 feet in circumference, and is supported by six stones ; but on the
W. side, or head, there are four more stones, lengthening the grave, as frequently
occurs in such monuments." — P,
"On the N. side" (Petrie's W. side), "it has the peculiar porch-like entrance
of X, but it is difficult to decide whether it was a purposed lengthening of the
grave ... or whether the monument had been originally a double cromleac. The
cap-stone* resembles in shape the head of a mushroom." The results of a
search among the contents of the area under the covering-stone which had been
thrown out and replaced perhaps, or overlooked during a previous search,
"consisted of four hundred and twenty-eight small firagments of clay-coloured
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152
The Dolmens of Ireland.
t
bones, and twenty pieces of charcoal. There was no appearance of the action of
fire, and yet the bones must have been burned, though imperfectly, as some few
fragments show the crack like marks pro-
duced by fire, and noticed in other sepul-
chres. There were also fragments of shells,
small pebbles, and much fine brown humus
and sand. Of the uncovered portion of the
monument two stones remain. Close to
and under one of these was found, in sitUy
a ' pocket ' of calcined bones and an amor-
phous fragment of greenish glass, coated
with a thick, whitish crust" Petrie is said
to have found '' opaque blue-glass ornaments
in cairns in the N. of Ireland." — ^W. M.
I found, together with urns, calcined
remains, vitreous, barrel-like beds, etc, in
an encircled cairn raised around a natural
rock on the cliflF at Boscregan in West
Cornwall, a thick piece of dark-blue glass
which had become iridescent, seemingly a
portion of a globular bottle of no great size.
The thickness of the glass in comparison
with that of Roman glass of the ordinary
Fig. 154 (No. 13). Plan in Col. Wood-
Martin's R,S,M.
lachrymatory type was remarkable.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit,^ and drawing, p. 441 ; R.S.M., pp. 40-42.
. XXI. No. 14. Situated to the S. of XX, at the comer of the road (dolmen-
circle). "A few stones only remain. The rest, including the cromleac, have been
displaced or removed by raising gravel."— P. " Only two stones half buried in a
pit are now visible." — W. M.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., pp. 42, 43.
XXII. No. 15. Situated still more to the S., and on the £. side of the road
(dolmen-circle). ''This was a double circle, about 40 feet in diameter, but a
portion of the outer one has been destroyed to raise gravel — 17 stones only
remaining. The cromleac is ruined. Human bones were found within it by
Mr. Walker." — P. On excavation, the interment was found to be greatly disturbed..
No vestige, save one stone, of the cist or its flooring remained.
One of the first objects turned up was the bulbous portion of an instrument,,
almost the whole of which was afterwards discovered, formed of cetaceous bone,
and nearly two feet long, which CoL Wood-Martin regards as a sword or stabbmg
rapier. A fragment of a second, but much smaller, dagger-like instrument was also-
fotmd, and three blackened portions of a third. It is to be compared with a shuttle
of whalebone figured in Boyesen's " Hist, of Norway," and Col. Wood-Martin thought
that it might have been formed from a bone of a dead Greenland whale, drifted
ashore at Cuilirra. The head of the larger instrument is like that of the fossilized
bone one found in IV. "There were also found," during this excavation by
Col. Wood-Martin, "a small fragment of flint, a diminutive white stone, a flake of
fractured white quartz, a whitish-coloured egg-shaped stone, weighing \ lb., fragments
of shells of cockle, mussel, and of the genus Helix^ 2 lbs. of calcined bones, two
human incisors, one of which was still attached to the jaw, 3 ozs. of bones in an
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County of Sligo.
153
uncalcined state, which might be masses of the cancellous tissue of the head of the
femur, or of the os innominatum, as also two (other) human incisors, one of them
greatly worn at one side." — W. M.
MS. "Letters,** loc, cU. ; R.S.M., pp. 43, 45.
XXIII. No. 16. Situated immediately to the S. of XXII, and adjoining the road
(dolmen«<drcle). "This is also a double circle, and about the same diameter
(40 feet) as XXII; but the outer circle is nearly destroyed, and the covering
of the cromleac is displaced It (the table-stone) measures 13 feet in circumference,
4 feet 4 ins. long, and i foot 6 ins. thick. — P. "Three small fragments of
uncalcined bones, pieces of oyster-shell, and a flint flake, represented all that was
discovered here." — W. M.
MS. "Letters," loc. cit. ; R,S.M., p. 46.
XXIV. No. 17. Situated on the other (or W.) side of the road, S. of XXIII
(dolmen-circle, and urn). " This circle is in part destroyed by the road. It appears
to have been a double curcle, with an external diameter of 40 feet The covering-
stone of the cromleac has been displaced Within its enclosure Mr. Walker found
human bones and fragments of an urn. The grave, as usual, had been opened
previously. The covering-stone is 12 feet in circumference." — P.
The fragments of the urn found here, which constituted the upper portion of it,
were presented by Mr. Walker
to Petrie, and are now in the
Museum of the R. I. Academy.
CoL Wood-Martin thus describes
the vessel, of which he succeeded
in finding three other small por-
tions : " The diameter of the
vessel at its mouth is 14 inches.
Its height originally must be a
matter of conjecture, a part of
the lower extremity being modem,
and having been attached to it
merely as a stand. The neck
and upper portions have been
divided by a narrow, raised band
into two members, each of which
is decorated with a chevron or
wavy pattern, and a number of
raised, circular bosses." The fol-
lowing remarks upon its con-
struction are curious: "There
would seem to have been at least
three stages in the manufacture
of this remarkable urn. First, a vessel of coarse, gritty matter was fashioned.
This was baked in a strong fire, and burnt almost to blackness. It seems then to
have been overlaid with finer material, of a buff" or brick-dust colour, upon which
were laid strips of the same composition, just as a modem cook would embellish
a pie-crust There can be no question but that it was in this manner that the
raised ornamentation was formed. Some portion of the wavy pattern, and many of
the little bosses, have fallen off. The interior of the vessel would seem to have been
Fig. 155. — Urn (restored) from Carrowmore. From
drawing by Mr, Wakeman in CoL Wood- Martinis
H.S.M.
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154 The Dolmens of Ireland.
coated or veneered with matter less fine than that which appears on the outside.
These coatings, and the attached raised patterns, were probably sun-dried, or
presented to the influence of a moderate degree of heat from a fire of wood or
peat" The writer compares the manner in which he thinks this urn was formed
Mrith what he considers also to have been the mode employed in making urns
found respectively at Toom in the Co. Cavan, and at Drumnakilly in the Co. Tyrone.
In the case of an elaborately decorated urn found by me in a cairn on Morvah Hill,
in West Cornwall, in a cist, with a coin of Constantius IL, I observed that the raised
pattern was liable to fall off, and that it was of a fine yellow paste, which left
exposed underneath the coarse black pottery of which the interior of the vessel had
been formed. The view I formed of its construction was precisely that of Col.
Wood-Martin in regard to the Carrowmore vessel (See Naenia Comubiae, p. 251.)
During his further exploration on the site of the dolmen in this cirde. Col.
Wood-Martin also found portions of a dagger-like implement of cetaceous bone,
similar to those found in IV and XXII, and which must have measured about
14 inches long; also a fossil of the limestone formation, three small fragments of
white quartz, eight pieces of oyster and cockle-shells, and human and animal remains
consisting of i lb. 2 oz. of fragmentary and calcined bones, amongst which were
three human incisors, and two pieces of temporal bone (petrous portion) of
skull
From the plan of this circle and its area, it will be evident at once that the
dolmen, and its passage, extended across it from the S.W. towards the N.E.
opening in the ring, and expanding as it reached the centre. I believe this to have
been a common, if not an almost universal feature, in the Carrowmore series, and it
is one which, as I have observed, connects these monuments rather with the
dolmens proper than with the passageless cairns covering cists, wholly enclosed.
It was in this cromlech^ if in any cromlech in Carrowmore, that the bronze-pin,
or fibula, must have been found, which is stated, in the " Life of Petrie," to have
been found in a cromlech at Carrowmore and in an urn. Discredit has been
thrown, however, on the assertion attributed to the great Irish antiquary, and that
there has been some mistake seems certain. (See Clover-Hill, infra,)
MS. ** Lctteis," loc. cU, ; R.S.M., pp. 46-48 ; and pp. 23-25.
XXV. No. 18 (i). Situated 20 paces to the S. of XXIV (dolmen-circle (? two dol-
mens)). " This circle resembles XXIV in every respect It is 40 feet in diameter,
has an inner circle, as usual, of smaller stones, and a cromleac, now ruined, in
the centre. It appears to have had a second cromleac, or kistvaen, within the
circle. Of the external circle twenty-nine stones remain, and the original number
appears to have been 35." — P. "The cromleac has totally disappeared since 1837.
Of the outer circle, twenty-four stones are in situ. Several excavations in various
parts of the area were attempted^, and at length a small cist (which, from the
ground-plan, appears to be a double one, viz. a narrow chamber on the W. side,
opening into a larger one on the £. side) was laid bare." Both portions of it,
according to the plan, are not more than 10 feet long taken together. **In it were
found seven small fragments of calcined bones, a fossil of the Sligo limestone
formation, and a small flint arrow-head." — ^W. M.
MS. " Letters," loc. at.; R.S.M., pp. 48-49.
XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII. No. 18 (2) (3) (4). Between XXV and XXIX,
" there is every reason to believe that three or more circles have been removed, as
the peasantry allege." — P. " The wall for some distance on the S. side of the road
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County of Sligo.
*55
is formed partly of boulders, such as generally go to the formation of these
structures. In close proximity there is an appearance of a ruined cist" — W. M.
MS. " Letters," loc, cit. ; R.S.M., p. 49.
XXIX. No. 19. Situated S. of XXV (dolmen-circle (several dolmens or cists)).
" This circle is the grandest of the whole series now remaining. It is 72 feet in
diameter, and consists of forty-nine stones, the original number being apparently fifty-
two. These stones are all of great magnitude, and many of them are 7 feet above
ground. It had evidently several kistvaens, or cromleacs, within it, of which the
^...
Fig. 156. — Carrowmore (No. 19). From an original sketch by Petrie,
remains are visible, as well as one outside the circle, on the W., the stones of which
remain." — P.
''Being placed on an artificially-raised mound, an imposing appearance is
produced. • • • The mound, however, has been undermined by people seeking for
gravel, and some of the boulders on the N.W. have rolled to the bottom of the
slope. ... An excavation into what was apparently the site of the central
chamber showed that the interment had been greatly disturbed. One flag only
of the original flooring was left in sitUy but the largest collection of uncalcined bones
discovered in Carrowmore was here exhumed." A lohg line of contiguous stones,
terminating in a large one on the N.W. side of the area, looks like one side of the
passage into a dolmen from the edge of the circle. Among the bones discovered
" there were portions of jaw-bones, with the teeth still adhering ; in short, the
human remains were in a less fragmentary state than in any of the other circles
examined. On the clay being carefully sifted, three or four pieces of bone among
all the uncalcined pieces proved to be calcined." — ^W. M.
ITiese remains were submitted to Drs. MacDowel of Sligo, and Frazer of
Dublia The former stated that, '' beyond doubt, they represent human remains.
Some of the bones are those of a child, others those of an adult, and some those of
an individual of advanced years. The bones belong to an undersized race.
Amongst them there is also the femur and incised tooth of an ox." Dr. Frazer
reports as follows : " I find four heel bones ; three of them belong to the right
feet, and one to the left foot There must, therefore, have been three different
interments of separate bodies ; but I cannot refer the other bones found with them
to the individujds. I find fragments all belonging to a large and well-developed
male, such as upper end of humerus, femur, tibia, and ulna ; also portions of small-
sized individual, possibly a female — I should say not young — namely femur, top of
radius, and part of platycnemic tibia. Teeth and portions of jaws of adults of
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156 The Dolmens of Ireland.
advanced life — at least in full maturity; also part of skull of small cow, and
leg-bone and vertebra, possibly of a small horse, about which, being broken, and
having no bones for comparison, I cannot, however, speak positively. There were
some teeth of calf or small cow, and two teeth of a small dog or cat The rest
consist of numerous fragments, which would require hours to examine. . . . They
all appear to belong to an early race."
MS. ** Letters," loc. di., and drawing at p. 443 ; R.S.M., pp. 49-50.
XXX. No. 20. Situated about 20 paces S. of XXIX (dolmen-cirde). " This
circle was of small diameter, and consisted of twelve stones, five of which had been
recently removed." — P.
MS. "Letters," loc. cU,; R.S.M., p. 51.
XXXI. No. a I. " Still further S. " (dolmen-circle). " A few stones of this circle,
with the table-stone of the cromleac, still remain."— P.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., pp. 51-52.
XXXn. No. 22. Situated S. (orS.E.) of XXXI; **6 paces from it;" ''close
to the road" (dolmen-circle). " This is a fine double circle, with a cromleac, partly
ruined, in the interior. The diameter of the outer circle is 53 feet, and of the
inner one 32 feet The stones in both are, as is most usual, placed quite close
to each other. The number of stones in the outer circle is forty-five, but they appear
to have been originally fifty-two (the same number as in XXIX), as places for
seven are empty. Within the cromleac an interment was found by Mr. Walker." — P.
MS. " Letters," loc. cU. ; p. 52.
XXXIII. No. 23. Situated about fifteen paces to the S. of XXXII
(dolmen-circle). " This circle is considerably injured, seventeen stones only remain-
ing of it, although it originally consisted of thirty or thirty-two. The diameter
is 36 feet The stones of the cromleac remain, but are displaced, and human
bones have been found within it" — P.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., p. 53.
XXXIV. No. 24. W. of XXXIII (dolmen-circle). "There are 33 large stones,
which evidently belonged to another circle now destroyed." — P. " They have been
rolled to the bottom of the hill in clearing the land, and placed in a row." — ^W. M.
MS. "Letters," loc. cit.; R.S.M., p. 53.
XXXV. No. 25. Situated 6 paces W. of XXXIII (dolmen-<nrcle). "Of this
circle only 9 stones remain, and no cromleac. The diameter was 45 feet" — P.
** The site is now entirely cleared." — W. M.
MS. "Letters," loc. cit.; R.S.M., p. 53.
XXXVI. No. 26. Situated to the S. of XXXV, and near the road, dolmen-
circle). " This circle is nearly perfect, but wants the cromleac or kistvaen. The
stones are large, and, as usual, placed quite close to each other. They are thirty-
eight in number, and the diameter of the circle is 50 feet" — P.
MS. "I-etters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M,, p. 53.
XXXVII. No. 27. Situated to the S.W. of XXXVI (dolmen-circle, or chambered
cairn). " This is a double circle, and one of the finest of the series. The stones
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County of Sligo. 157
of the inner circle are small, and nearly covered by the clay. Those of the outer
one are of large size, averaging 6 feet in height, and 20 feet in circumference. The
diameter of the circle is 60 feet. The number of stones in the circle is thirty-seven.
The pillar-stones of the cromleac, sixteen in number, remain ; but the covering-stone
or stones — for it is probable there were more than one — have been destroyed." — P.
There is a plan of this circle in Fergusson's " Rude Stone Monuments," but it is
inaccurate. The " cromleac " of which Petrie speaks, turned out, on examination by
Col. Wood-Martin, to be a cruciform arrangement of cists, or chambers, similar
in ground-plan to — though ruder, apparently, in structure than — that found in
\
^
^AOfbo
Fig. 157.— Carrowmore (No. 27). F/an in Col. Wood-Martin's R,S,M, Scale i inch = 20 feet,
several cairns. This design which is found in the cairns at Loughcrew in Meath, and
at Achill in Mayo, and Moytirra in Sligo, reached its consummation in New Grange.
It is found also at Dowth, and at Maes Howe in Orkney, and, with modifications,
in other cairns in Orkney, as well as in those of Caithness and Argyllshire. The
monument, however, which resembled most closely the Carrowmore example now
under consideration, was, in its pristine condition, "Wayland Smith's Cave," in
the County of Berkshire, a plan of the chambers of which will be found in the
Norwich volume of the " Congress of Anthropology and Prehistorical Archaeology,"
1868, p. 46. The idea present to the mind of the builder of that monument must
have been identical with that which dictated the design of the Carrowmore one.
The custom, and presumably the people who erected them both, was clearly one
and the same, and the presence of the form in the apparently more ancient
Carrowmore group, forms a link between them in the chain of the megalithic series
which it is important to note. Cruciform chambers, as we shall see, are not
unknown to German Archaeologists.
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158 The Dol'mens of Ireland.
Colonel Wood-Martin gives (from the pencil of Mr. James Graves) a sketch and
ground plan of the cist which formed the W. arm of the cruciform arrangement
** It was lined around — ^nearly to the surface of the ground — ^with nanow limestone
slahs, and was flagged with a piece of calpy limestone, underneath which lay the
undisturbed till. It may be considered a typical chamber." The covering-stone is
wantmg in this and all the other cists, and I do not feel sure that the roof was not
completed in each case by overlapping thin flat stones. Had this been the case,
however, one would have thought they would have been found in the chamber,
but such a circumstance is not recorded.
In the W. cist were found —
(a) I lb. i^ oz. weight of calcined human bones and fragments of crania.
(d) I lb. weight of uncalcined bones of animals and birds.
{c} Four fragments of uncalcined animal bones, probably those of a small cow.
(d) Seven back teeth (molars) and three front teeth (incisors) of an aged
person.
(e) Seven back teeth and ten front teeth of an adult or adults.
(/) About forty fragments of cockle shells.
(f) A fossil cast of a shell from the limestone.
In the N. cist (which would represent the shaft of the cross, and the axis of which
lay rather N.W. and S.E. than N. and S.) were found —
(a) A few fragments of calcined human bones.
{d) Animal bones and a tooth of an animal, uncalcined
In the E. cist were found —
(a) A few fragments of calcined human bones.
(d) Fragments of uncalcined human bones ; part of a jaw, with molar ; frag-
ments of crania.
(c) Animal bones, molar tooth of ruminant, uncalcined.
(d) A few cockle and oyster shells.
(e) A hammer-stone (sandstone, weight i lb.), one of the ends showing traces
of abrasion ; another of the same material ; three fragments of quartz,
averaging about i lb. each ; a very small piece of the same ; and a quartz-
spar, clear as crystal — a, very fine specimen — weight 2 oz.
In the central cist were found —
(a) Calcined bones not exclusively human, fragments of crania, and two human
molars.
{d) I lb. uncalcined human bones, and nine incisors, and seven human molars of
diflerent individuals ; also animal bones and the tooth of a ruminant
(c) Numerous fragments of cockle and oyster shells, and a periwinkle shell
(d) A small piece of white quartz and a rose-coloured pebble.
(e) Two small fragments of a cinerary urn, one of them showing traces of a pattern.
(/) Two pieces of worked bone, and part of the acus of a bone pin.
In the S. (or S.E.) cist were found —
(a) I lb. 2 oz. weight of calcined bones, and two human incisors.
(d) Numerous uncalcined bones ; eight human molars ; six incisors ; eight teeth
of animals, five of them belonging to a dog ; three fragments of an animal's
jaw, with molar ; and a few other fragments of animal bones.
(c) Twelve fragments of cockle shells and a fossil.
(d) A fractured hammer-stone, apparently split by intense heat ; and two small
pieces of white quartz.
(e) Small fragments of a cinerary urn, red in colour, thm, hard, well-baked, and
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County of Sligo. 159
highly omamenteA It seemed to have been subjected to great heat on
its interior surface.
(/) Three fragments of a ring, presenting much the appearance of ivory,
being hard and white, stated by Dr. Frazer to have been ''cut with vast
labour from a nodule, or portion of white flint, and as it was hydro-
metric, it consisted originally of a form of hydrated quartz, or opal, which
is found in the trap districts of the north of Ireland." It is further
remarked that, *' very often chalk flints are found around a fossil such as a
Beiemniiey as a nucleus. If the fossil had either fallen out through natural
agency, or had been extracted by these primitive ornament-makers, the
formation of a ring, such as this, would have been greatly facilitated." A
ring of lignite and another of glass are stated to have been found with a
skeleton at Dunadry, Co. Antrim, and a ring of shale in a cinerary urn at
Dundrum, Co. Down.
{£) A piece of carved bone with pattern decidedly archaic. It is either wabrus-
or whale-bone.
(h) Fragments of the acus of a pin, and three pieces of a dagger-like implement
made of horn, or cetaceous bone, greatly calcined.
(/) An arrow-head formed of the split bone of a large mammal : the convex
and concave sides of the medial canal are still very observable.
MS. "Letters," ioc, cit.; R.S.M., pp. 53-60; Fergusson, R.S.M., p. 182.
XXXVIII. No. 28. Situated twenty paces to the S.E. of XXXVII (dolmen-
circle). ''Of this circle there is only a vestige consisting of 3 stones with the
supporting stones of the cromleac The destruction of this circle has been recent "
{},e. in 1837). — P. " All traces of it are now gone."— W. M.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit, ; R.S.M., p. 60.
XXXIX. No. 29. Situated still more to the S., and E. of the road (dohnen-circle).
" Of this circle, also, there is only a vestige, six large stones of it and of the cromleac
only remaining, the rest having been recently blasted and removed. As usual,
human bones were found within the tomb." — P. " Nothing now remains." — ^W. M.
MS. «* Letters," loc, eit. ; R.S.M., p. 60.
XL. No. 30. Situated to the E. of XXXIX, and on E. side of the road
(dolmen-circle). " This circle, with its fine cromleac, was destroyed within the last
week (/>. August, 1837) by Mr. Chambers of Cloon Hill." — P. "One large stone,
standing solitary, like a sentinel, marks the site of this monument" — ^W. M.
MS. " Letters," /^v. ci/. ; R.S.M., pp. 60, 61.
XLI. No. 31. Situated on Leachtareal-Hill, to the W. of the road, and S. of
XL (dolmen-circle). " Of this circle and cromleac only a few stones remain. They
were destroyed a few years ago by one of Mr. Walshe's tenants, who occupies the form.
It was of small diameter, but the stones were of great size. Human bones were
found within the cromleac." — P. "Some of the boulders which composed this
monument may be seen at a considerable height in the ditch of a garden-plot on the
W. side of Leachtareal hill."— W. M.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., p. 61.
XLIL No. 32(1). Situated a few paces to the S. of XLL (dolmen-circle). " This
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i6o The Dolmens of Ireland.
circle is nearly perfect, but the cromleac is broken. The stones are of small size,
and the diam. of the circle 42 feet" — P.
MS. " Letters," loc, eit. ; R.S.M., p. 61.
No. 32 {2). Adjacent to the two last (cairn). "Within the memory of the
old people (living in 1837), there was a remarkable cairn adjacent to these (last
two) circles, which gave name to the hill LeachtareeL It was destroyed many years
since to build walls, and not a trace of it remains."— P.
MS. "Letters," ioc. ciL ; R.S.M., pp. 61, 62.
XLIII, XLIV. Nos, 33 and 34. Situated to the S. of XLII (two dolmen-circles).
^* Of these circles but slight vestiges remam. They were destroyed about fifteen
years before 1837 by Mr. Walshe's tenants."— P.
MS. "Letters," /iv.«V.
XLV. No. 35. " Situated still further to the S *' (dolmen-circle (several others) ).
"This circle has been destroyed, but the cromleac remains, with the table-stone
displaced. There were other circles in the vicinity which were also destroyed." — P.
^' A few stones are still scattered about here and there."— W. M.
MS. "Letters," loe, cU.; R.S.M., p. 63.
XLVI. No. 36. Situated in the field lying W. of XLV (dolmen-circle). " This
circle is nearly perfect It now (1837) consists of forty-nine stones, some of which
are thrown down and displaced. The upper stone of the cromleac has also been
displaced, but not carried away. The diameter of the circle is 60 feet"— P.
MS. " Letters," lac, cit, ; R.S.M., p. 63.
XLVIL No. 36 {a). A few paces to the N.E. of XLVI (dolmen^aim (?)
encircled). " Traces of a large cairn, unnoticed by Petrie. The tenant of the
land states that when he was quarrying in it for stones he turned up a quantity of
bones and charcoal The central cist is probably yet perfect ; if so, this monument
might well repay exploration. Traces of a surrounding circle of stones can still be
observed."— W. M.
R.S.M., pp. 63, 64.
XLVIIL No. 37. Situated to the S. of XLVI f (dolmen-circle). " This is a
triple cu-cle with a perfect cromleac in its centre. The inner circle is composed
of small stones placed quite close to each other, and not more than a foot or so
above the soil This circle is about 40 feet in diameter. The second circle is
composed of very large stones, twelve in number, and consequently greatly apart
from each other, the interval being about six paces. This circle is about
80 feet in diameter. The third circle is composed of stones of still greater
magnitude, but as several of them have been removed or destroyed, it can only be
assumed that they were also twelve. The diameter of this cirde is 120 feet
The cromleac is of the smallest size, and is not more than 4 feet in height. The
circumference of the table-stone is 16 feet, and it rests on five supporters." — P.
Col. Wood-Martin thinks this may even have been a quadruple circle. His
^lan of the little dolmen shows that at the N. or N.W. end there was a narrow
entrance, and evidence of the existence of the usual porch-like extension in that
direction. It is between the inner and the second circle of Petrie that a fourth
t From XLVm to LIX inclusive, the monuments are in the lands of Graigue, adjoining
jCarrowmore on the S.W.
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County of Sligo. i6i
circle may have existed. ** Traces of flagging were observable at the bottom of the
chamber," but it seemed to have been " completely cleared out," as " only 4 small
fragments of calcined bones were discovered." — W. M.
MS. '' Letters," loc, nV., and drawing at p. 449 ; R.S.M., pp. 64-66.
XLIX. No. 38. Situated to the W. of XLVIII ; only a few feet distant (dolmen-
circle). "Not more than [number omitted in the MS.] stones remain, and the
cromleac is wholly destroyed. The diameter is 60 feet" — P.
MS. " Letters," ^r.«/.
L. No. 39. Situated but a few feet W. of XLIX (dolmen-circle). " This circle
Fig. 158. — Carrowmore (No. 37). I*rom an original sketch by Peirie,
is still more injured than XLIX ; only ten stones remain. They are of large size,
and the diameter of the circle is 70 feet" — P.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit.
LI, LII. Nos. 40 and 41. Situated in the small field to the £. of that in which
XLVIII is placed (two dolmen-circles). "Of these two circles only a few stones
remain. They were destroyed by Mr. Walshe's tenants about twenty years before
1837. As usual, human bones were found in the tombs." — P.
MS. " Letters," Av.aV.
LIII. No. 42. Situated in the same field with Nos. XLIX and L (dolmen-
circle). "The remains of this circle consist of seven or eight stones. It was
destroyed by Mr. Walshe."— P.
MS. " Letters,'* loc, cit.
LIV. No. 43 (i). Situated in the field to the S. of that in which LIII lies, and
immediately adjacent (dolmen-circle). "The diameter of this circle is 45 feet,
but the number of the stones cannot be ascertained, as many of them are covered
over by the soil. There are no remains of the cromleac.*^' — P.
MS. "Letters," A?r.«/.
LV. No. 43 (2). Immediately adjacent to LIV towards the N. (dolmen-
circle ?). " There are seven or eight large stones which appear to be the remains
of another circle." — P.
MS. „ Letters,*' Av. cit.
VOL. I. M #
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1 62 The Dolmens of Ireland.
LVL No. 44- Situated in the same field as LIV to the W. of it (dolmen-
circle). " Of this circle only eleven stones remain, the others have been removed
to form a wall adjacent. The diameter is 72 feet." — P.
MS. « Letters," loc. eit.
LVII. No. 45. Situated in the same field with XLIX, L and LIII (dolmen-
circle). " The remains of this circle consist of only a few stones. It was destroyed
by Mr. Walshe."— P.
MS. *' Letters," /<?^.ri^.
No. 46. Situated in the next field to LVII, to the W., and ** close to the ditch
which cuts off a portion of it." — P. It is a few paces to the N.W. of LVII
(caltragh?). "This circle appears rather
<»^^^?^^^'^^ni( *® ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ cashel or fort than a place of
:v^^^-^ii;^ «^^'4te!!\^'^ interment. The diameter is about 120 feet,
"/^^^ ^V^*SS ^^^ *^ ^^^^ ^° ^^^' *" thickness. It is
'a?_^^^ tJfv^kA^ composed of enormous-sized stones mixed
with earth, and has a ditch and bank sur-
rounding it. It has also two smaller walls
within it, and extending across it in parallel
right lines, as see the plan." — P. "This
curious monument appears to have been
originally rudely circular. . . . The circum-
^^ _ vallation consists of an earthen rampart mixed
*»Zl,':zr::Ci^'"^'^ with stones, and about lo feet in thickness.
Fig. i59.-Carrowmore (No 46). ^" ^^ ^^^^"^^ ^^« ^^"^ S'^^"^^ ^^^^^^ extend-
Pian by Petrie, ing across it in parallel lines. None of the
' enormous-sized stones ' which formerly com-
posed the rampart now remain ; but two boulders on either side of the gap in the
S. arc of the circle may perhaps mark the jambs of a rude entrance." — W. M.
Circular earthworks divided by a bank traversing their interior area are known to
German archxologists. See drawing of the " schlossberg " near Witzen in the
Neues Lausitzishes Mag., vol. Ivii., pi. facing p. 466.
MS. "Letters," loc. cU.<, and plan, p. 452 ; R.S.M., p. 66.
LVIII. No. 46 {a). Near No. 46 (dolmen-circle). This is not noticed by Petrie.
**It is a very diminutive circle, 10 feet in diameter, hollow in the centre, and
surrounded by thin flags, ten in number. ... An excavation was made, but without
result." — W. M. CoL Wood-Martin compares it to a circle in Achill (co. Mayo).
R.S.M., p. 66.
No. 46 (^). About 150 paces to the S. of No. 46 (caltragh?). "A very
similar structure to No. 46, not hitherto noticed " (and therefore not in Petrie's
list). In common with No. 46, Col. Wood-Martin regards this as a sepulchral
monument It is not within the range of his map, but it makes the sixth monument
of the class included in the Carrowmore group.
R.S.M., p. 66.
LIX. No. 47. Situated immediately to the W. of No. 46 (dolmen-circle, and at
least 6 others). '' This circle is in part destroyed. About twenty stones remain. In
the same field to the W. there are a vast number of large stones (the boundary wall
is in great part composed of similar stones) ; but it is impossible to trace, with any
certainty, a circular arrangement among them. It is certain, however, that within
the memory of the present inhabitants of the townland, the chain of circles was
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County of Sligo. 163
carried on without interruption through the great field immediately to the N. They
were destroyed by Mr. Walshe, who got a lease of the land fix)m Lord Erne, in 1793,
to clear the ground. The peasants who were employed in their destruction
remember six or more of them distinctly, and the stones of which they were
composed still remain partly in pits within the field, and partly in the surrounding
walls. In all these circles bones were found beneath the cromleacs. Towards the
N. of the field the series is again resumed/' — P.
MS. " Letters," Av.rtV.
LX. No. 48. Situated in the N.E. angle of the great field mentioned above
(dolmen-circle). [This and the ones which follow up to No. 59 inclusive are in the
lands of Carrowmore.] " Of this circle, which appears to have been of great size,
only one stone remains, but its cromleac is still perfect It consists of supporting-
stones and one covering-stone, which is 6 feet in length and breadth. The remaining
stone of the circle is about 5 feet in height, and is 38 feet from the cromleac, which
would give a diameter of at least 76 feet to the circle in its perfect state." — P.
'' The covering-stone is slightly displaced. The chamber is beneath the surface
level, and, without removing the table-stone, could be but partially excavated The
interment was (found to be) greatly disturbed The contents were twenty-seven
fragments of bone, and two pieces of charcoal Some of the bones were certainly
animal (as a vertebra, piece of the frontal bone, and two teeth); others were
doubtful."— W. M.
MS. •« Letters," loc. Hi, ; R.S.M., pp. 67, 68.
LXI. No. 49. Situated in the same field, about 80 paces to the W. of LX
(dolmen-circle). " This is a double circle with a ruined cromleac in the centre.
The stones in the outer circle are considerably larger than those in the inner, and
appear to have consisted of thirty-two, but some of them have been removed The
diameter of the circle is 38 feet The stones of the inner circle are nearly covered
with earth, as are also those of the tomb, which wants the covering-stone." — P.
" This is a small, double circle, situated on ground that was slightly raised above
the surrounding level, and of which the stones of the outer are considerably larger
than those of the inner circle. . . . Only one stone of the central chamber remains ;
it appears to have been a cromleac Part of the interment had been disturbed, as
the remains were almost on the surface of the soil, but after excavating down to the
floor of the cist, some of the flags near the headstone were raised, and under these
an interment was discovered." — W. M.
In this tomb were three interments — one uncalcined, one calcined, and one
underneath the pavement of the cist This latter mode of disposition recalls to
me a discovery of my own under a great tumulus upon the edge of the clifi" at
Trevelgue on the N. coast of Cornwall. The dolmen in that case was flagged, as
is usual in the Carrowmore examples, and underneath one of the paving-stones
occupying an angle of the chamber I discovered a deposit of bones, principally
those of a skull As they lay in a little depression which seemed to have been
scratched out of the hard ground, the horrible thought occurred to me that a body
had been buried alive together with the corpse of the person for whom the dolmen
and cairn was erected. In this Cornish dolmen I found a beautifully polished and
perforated stone hammer. (See ** Nsenia Comub.," p. 87.)
The report on the discoveries in the cist of LXI is as follows : Firstly, those
above the flagging : —
'' Eighty-six fragments of human bones, without any appearance of the action
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164
The Dolmens of Ireland.
of fire, all stained yellowish-brown by humus. This lot affords evidence of at least
two individuals having been buried here, by the presence of two astragali (ankle bones)
of the left foot. These bones, being of different sizes, may be those of a male
and female. There was also evidence that one of the persons buried here was of
great size and strength, from the massive and strongly developed portions of
femur (thigh bone) which were amongst the fragments. From the size of one of the
bones of the hand (unciform right), it may be inferred that his hands and feet were
in proportion — perhaps a chieftain and his wife. These bones must have been
interred under a vast weight, as the clay was tightly jammed into the canal of the
long bones. . . . There was a small bit of oyster shell ; also fifteen hundred and
fifty-five small fi-agments of greyish-white or ashen-coloured bones imperfectly
calcined and impregnated almost to petrifaction with carbonate of lime, which
rendered them unusually heavy." At least 30 of these
fragments show distinctly crack-like marks, transverse to
the long axis of the bone, or arranged in a series of plane
curves similar to those found on bones in another dolmen
to be presently noticed.
Not far from the surface a button was found, which
is figured by Col. Wood-Martin, and which, on account of
its peculiar form, calls for special attention. The material
is said to be steatite, and the measurement close upon an
inch in diameter. On one side it is convex, and has been
shaped into a bulbous form. On the other it is flat, and
into the surface two holes have been drilled which, meet-
ing in the body of the object, form an excellent mode of
A precisely similar little object was discovered in the anta^
or dolmen of Monte Abrah&o in Portugal, a fine alike converle in which no less
than eighty interments had been placed, each interment, to judge by a plan of
the monument in "Mat pour I'Histoire de THomme,**"
i88t, p. 462, formed into a little heap surmounted by the
skull, as described by Mr. Walker in the account given
above of a tomb opened by him in Sligo. The little
button from the Portuguese tomb is said to be of bone, but
I strongly suspect it to be of the same material as the Irish
example, since steatite, long exposed to the chemical
action of the earth, would assume a porous and cellular
appearance not unlike bone. With the button at Monte
Abrahio were found stone axes and other implements,,
lance and arrow-heads of flint, rouleaux of chalk, //j^t^j
of slate, turquoise beads, and various other pendants, some
perfect vessels in the shape of skull-caps,t and a quantity of fragments of pottery.
A third instance of the discovery of a button of this sort occurred to me during the
excavation of a cairn encircled and raised round a natural rock at Boscregan, in
West Cornwall. In this instance, a little depression, or duct, had been cut across the
flat side of the button, and between the two holes, as if to hold a pia The convex side
was not so bulbous, but otherwise the object was identical with those just described.
Fig. 160.— Button, from
Carrowmore. From CoL
Wood-Martin's R^M.
attachment to a dress.
Fig. 161.— Button, from
Monte AbrahSo, Por-
tugal. CartaUkae,
Anderson, •" bcotland in i'agan limes," " iSronze ana stone," pp. ;
Pr^hist. de I'Espagne," fig. 160, who compares the pottery of Ireland and the Morbihan with tEat
of Portugal.
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County of Sligo. 165
With it were found cinerary urns, a piece of thick, iridescent glass noticed above,
some bluish, barrel-shaped beads of vitreous material, a perforated stone pendant,
etc. The material of this button puzzled those to whom I showed it — some
pronouncing it to be bone. I found it, however, to be steatite, so that it is identical
in substance as well as in design with that from Carrowmore.t A cruciform bead
or button of stone, perforated in the same manner, was found in the tumulus at
Dowth in the Co. of Meath (see Wilde, Cat Mus. R.LA., p. 122, fig. 22). Some
beads or buttons of stone found on Ballyboley Mountain, Co. Antrim, were (see
"Ulster Joum. of Archaeology," vol. iv. p. 271) similarly perforated.
Buttons are, to be sure, insignificant trifles, but when they exhibit in material
and peculiarity of design characteristics which are identical, although found in
different and not too widely remote localities, they afford evidence not to be
hastily thrown aside, that, in the days When they were made, either the same people
were dwelling in those respective localities, or that intercourse was taking place
between their inhabitants. These peculiar buttons, found on the western coast of
the Iberian Peninsula, in West Cornwall and in Ireland, occur under conditions
which lead us to believe that they belong to the close of the Neolithic and the begin-
ning of the Copper or Bronze Age, that is to say, according to the computation
of Montelius, Lissauer, and others, to the fifteenth century b.c. A certain type of
flint arrow-head, found in the same localities, points to a like conclusion, while a
peculiar form of lamp perforated for suspension, found in Ireland and Portugal,
and a rare type of the paalstab, or bronze celt, provided with perforated ears for
attachment, found only in Portugal, South-West Britain, and Ireland, indicate the
continuance of the intercourse between the peoples of those countries far into the
Bronze Age itself. To this subject we shall recur later on.
In the tomb (LXI), above the flaggingy were also a flat white quartz
stone, nearly circular, weighing 2} oz. ; at centre \ inch thick ; in one axis, x} ;
in the other i^ inches ; eight cylindrical crystalline bodies from -^ to |{ in. in
length, rough externally ; the central axis crystalline (carbonate of lime). These
appear to be stalactitic formations; and, finally, nine fragments of bone, some
completely petrified, which cannot be identified as human.
Secondly, below the flagging : —
{a) *^ Forty pieces of a conglomerate of bones, stained with oxide of iron, humus,
and carbon; the mass impregnated throughout, and cemented with calcareous
infiltration. In some of the pieces may be seen the cylindrical stalactites, like fossil
worms. This 'clinker' formation is probably a coarse glass, or fusible silicate, the
result of a combination of sand and alkali (derived from the destruction of organic
matter) under the influence of heat."
(3) "Three thin, flattened, dull, reddish-brown bits of 'clinker,* tinged with
oxide of iron, and not unlike fragments of a thin cinerary urn."
Each of the above interments was kept separate. The examination of the
remains above recorded was the work of Dr. A. W. Foot, M.D.
It seems to me possible that both in this case and in that of Trevelgue, above
mentioned, the action of water in the cist may Sicconnt for the bones being under the
flagstones.
MS. " Letters," Uc, cit. ; R.S.M., pp. 68-70.
t For the Portuguese button, see Cartailhac, "Ages Pr^ist. de rEspagne," figs. 257, 258 ; for
the Cornish button, see *' Archxologia,*' vol. xlix., p. 189, and for the Carrowmore one, see Wood-
Martin, R.S.M., p. 69, figs. 57 and 58. A jet button of like shape was found at Hunmanby,
Yorkshire.
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1 66
The Dolmens of Ireland.
LXII. No. 50. Situated in the field to the N. of LXI, W. of the great cairn
LXIII (dolmen-circle). ** The remains of this circle, which was destroyed with
its cromleac about three years previous to 1837, consist of twenty-four large
stones."— P.
MS. •• Letters," /<?f.rtV.
LXIIL No. 5 1. Situated E. of LXII, and out in the N.K portion of the oval area
surrounded by the chain of circles (cairn, with covered dolmen), called IdstoghiL
Fig. 162. — ^Listc^hil. From a sketch in CoL Wood-Martinis R,S,M,
" This is the most important monument of the entire series, and evidently, both from
its magnitude and central situation, marks the sepulchre of the most distinguished
person entombed in this great cemetery. In its present state of dilapidation it is
impossible to describe its original proportions with certainty, but enough remains
to enable us to approximate to the truth. In some
respects, indeed, its partial destruction, by exposing
its interior, has furnished facts which could not other-
wise have been acquired The situation is more
elevated than that of any of the monuments by
which it is surrounded, and its circumference is con-
siderably greater, the diameter being about 150 feet.
Like many of the other monuments, it consisted
originally of two concentric circles with a cromleac,
or kist-vaen in the centre, but the space enclosed by
the outer circle was covered by a cairn, or heap of
stones, originally, it is probable, not less than 40 or 50
feet in height The cairn having been used as a quarry for many years past by
the neighbouring inhabitants has diminished its altitude so much as to expose
the tomb within it. It (the tomb) is composed of stones of great magnitude,
and built with an unusual degree of regularity of form. The covering-stone
is 10 feet square, and 2 feet thick, and, unlike those in ali the other tombs, is
not of granite but of limestone, and so also are some of its supporters. The
persons who first opened it assert that they found nothing within it but burnt wood
and human bones. The half-calcined bones of horses and other animals were,
and still are, found in the cairn in great quantity. The stones which formed the
outer circle were of large size, but most of them have been carried away, and we
can only form now a conjecture as to their number, which, allowing a breadth of
3 feet to each, would be one hundred and fifty." — P.
" This cairn is in view both of the cairn on the summit of Knocknarea, and of
s«=s:n=3-l^^j
Fig. 163.— Listoghil. IHan in
Col. Wood'MarHn's R.S.M.
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County of Sligo. 167
the two situated on Cams Hill, overlooking Lough Gill. . . . Eighteen stones remain
of the inner circle, and only four of the outer circle. Appearances point to the
probability of the cairn not having covered more than the space marked out by
the inner circle. The stones in the chamber are set in position with an unusual
degree of regularity, the crevices being carefully * spalled,* or filled in. The clay
in the interior was carefully turned out and sifted. The bones, few in number,
were found principally in crevices and pockets. * It was a very miscellaneous assort-
ment, consisting of numerous small bones of the hand and foot, portions of ribs,
vertebrae, fragments of the long bones, also of the skull, pelvis, jaw, etc. There
were undoubtedly several interments, judging from the variety of the bones, none
of which, however, present any very special characteristic.' " This report of them
was given by Dr. E. MacDowel, M.D. Petrie was informed that " a large spear-
head formed of stone '* had been found here by Mr. Walker (** Life of Petrie," p. 250).
This is, I suppose, the "javelin, or lance-head, formed of flint" (No. 103, in
Wilde's Catalogue of the Museum of the R.I.A.), which Col. Wood-Martin says
(R.S.M., p 17) "can be conclusively proved to have been found in the cairn of
ListoghiL"— W. M.
A flint, which CoL Wood-Martin calls " a beautifully formed flint knife,'* rewarded
his exploration of this chamber. I doubt not that it was artificially formed, nor
that, as Mr. J. W. Knowles stated, it bears evidence of secondary dressing. I
would, however, prefer to regard it as a '* strike-a-light,*' such as was found in X.
and others found by myself with calcined bones, and sometimes in cinerary urns in
Cornwall.
"This cairn," says Petrie, **is called Listoghil, or Rye-fort, but this name is
obviously not its original one, being founded on the erroneous supposition that the
monument was a * Lis,' or * Fort' " t
The dolmen in this cairn consists of six side-stones and one roofing-stone. It
measures internally 8 feet long by 5 feet broad, contracting at one end, however,
to 3 feet 6 ins. The three stones which compose this narrower end average from
2 feet 6 ins. to 3 feet long, and 2 feet to i foot 6 ins. broad The large slab which
composes the further end measures 8 feet long by i foot broad. One of the side-
stones adjoining it at right angles is 6 feet 6 ins. long by i foot 6 ins. broad, the
one opposite it is 5 feet 9 ins. long, by i foot 6 ins. broad. I have not the direction
t In this opinion I know not whether to agree, since in the Romances the sidhej or central
caves in the tumuli, were fabled to be palaces, that is to say, iisses in that sense, where dwelt
the spirits of the dead, and in which reigned the mythical kings of the race. In this sense a tomb
might be called a * lis. ' If Dr. Joyce's opinion be correct, that in tog/ul we have the surname Tuathail
(gen. of Tuathal), as in Listowel in Kerry, which in the A. 4, M. is called "Lios Tuathail," we
may have in this name an^ evidence of the existence of a tradition that this tumulus contained the
fairy-palace, i^. sidh^ or tomb, of a king called Tuathal, an idea which the other name. Rye Fort,
if we might regard it as a corruption of righ^ " a king," and^r/, ** a grave," might help to justify.
Tuathal, as the name not only of historic personages who occupied the position of chieftains or
petty-kings, but of one of the half-mythical monarchs who, throughout the Middle Ages, occupied
the border-land between tradition and myth, meets us continually in Irish history and romance.
Tuathal Techtmar (Tectumaros) was the conqueror of the Aithcach-Tuatha— the villain tribes
who had risen in rebellion and killed their king — ^the man of Germanic name who put to route the
allophylian barbarians, just as Lug con(}uered the Fomorian Balor at the battle of Moytirra. He is
represented as a great conqueror defeatmg in turn the men of all the four provinces of Ireland, as
an equally great administrator establishing the Convention of Tara, and as a tyrant in imposing on
Leinster the tribute called Boromean. A fitting name his for l^end or tradition to associate with
the principal sepulchre in all this constellation of tombs, although it would be folly to suppose
that any tradition of the real name of an occupant of any of them could have reached our day.
Failing such an explanation, which is based rather on fancy than fact, we may have in Listoghil
merely the name ''elevated lis, or fort," alluding to its high position, or to the materials of the
cairn thrown up to such a height, just as in Clochtogal, the name of a dolmen in Fermanagh, we
have simply '* the raised, or elevated, stone," alluding to the position of the cap-stone, from
tSgbhmm^ *♦ I raise."
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1 68 The Dolmens of Ireland.
of the longer axis of this chamber. If denuded of its caim it would resemble the
flag-dolmens of Clare.
MS. "Letters," he. HU ; R.S.M., pp. 71-74, and p. 17.
LXIV. No. 52. Situated about 70 paces to the N.W. of the caim called Listoghil
(dolmen-circle). "This, which was a large circle, has been recently (in 1837)
destroyed for the materials which it afforded to build the wall connecting the field
boundary in that direction with the road. The cromleac, however, which is a very
large and apparently double one, still remains, but is in great part buried in stones
collected to clear the adjacent fields." — P.
" The cromleac, which is a fine specimen, remains. Its porch-like entrance is
very remarkable. Possibly it may have been a double or figure-of-8 dolmen."
— W. M.
The dolmen measures 4 feet 6 ins. in height Its long axis is N.W. and
S.E. The roofing-stone, which measures 5 feet 8 ins. by 5 feet, and is in the centre
about 2 feet 6 ins. thick, rests on 4 stones, 2 on either side. The stone at the N.W.
end is missing, and the antechamber, porch, or continuation at the S.£. end is
formed by 2 uncovered stones. The gap or slit connecting this with the interior
of the dolmen is only 6 inches wide.
'' In this cist there were six hundred and fifteen fragments of bones, all small,
greyish-white, ashen-coloured, and calcined. With them were two teeth (of a
ruminant), part of the tibia of a bird (curlew or plover), and a piece of shell {Helix).
Twenty of the bone fragments exhibited the peculiar transverse crack-like marks
alluded to in preceding interments." — ^W. M.
MS. ••Letters," loc. cit.; R.S.M., p. 74.
LXV. No. S3. Situated on the same field-boundary as LXIV, within about
loo feet of the road (dolmen-circle). " A few stones of this circle only remain. It
was destroyed a few years ago by Mr. Walshe's herd, by that gentleman's order.
As usual, it had a cromleac within." — P.
•'The few stones" have been removed, but its diminutive cromleac is still
intact An excavation was made with the following results : —
(a) Bones, which, according to Dr. Frazer, are all human, and had been imperfectly
burned. They belonged to an adult, advanced in years, judging from the teeth and
a fragment of the jaw with two molars and three incisors much worn down. There
were also portions of crania, thigh bones, etc
(b) A fragment of rude pottery, yellowish drab in colour, and i inch in
thickness, being evidently part of a large vessel imperfectly burned. For the
purpose of giving consistency to the material, small pieces of shells and pebbles
had been mixed with the clay of which it was composed. The fragments of shells
and stones are not apparent on the surface of the vessel, but become visible only
where it has disintegrated, or has been chipped or fractured. This specimen
of pottery exhibits six rows of rudely punched depressions made at an angle
downwards from the rim or lip of the vessel. The two lower lines had evidently
been punched with an implement of larger size than that which produced the
upper marks. The rudeness of this fragment contrasts greatly with the finer
specimen of pottery found in the S. cist of XXXVII, " to which a mixture of
micaceous clay appeared to have given great consistency."
{c) Fragment of a flint-flake.
(i) Shells oi Mytiius eduiis {musstX), l4f(^na liforea (pmwinklt), Litorina rudis
(one specimen), Cardium edule (cockle).
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County of Sligo. 169
{e) An irregular mass of yellowish quartz, weighing i lb. 2 02. — W. M
MS. "Letters," loc, cit.; R.S.M., pp. 75-77.
LXVI. No. 54. Situated at the angle of the field, N.E. of the cairn called
Listoghil, and to the E. of LX V (dolmen-circle). " Of this circle, also, only a few
stones are left, the rest having been carried away to clear the ground; but the
cromleac is untouched, though covered with stones collected off the land.** — P.
** The few stones yet remaining of those which formed this monument may now
be seen in the fences around a neighbouring cottage." — W. M.
MS. " Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M., p. 77.
LXVII. No. 55. Situated to the N. of the preceding (No. 54), and close to
the road. "It is the last link of the external chain of circles which commenced
with No. I." From CoL Wood-Martin's plan it would appear that this circle
is S.W. of LXVI (dolmen-circle). **This circle is more perfect, but some of
the stones have been removed to form a garden wall. The cromleac is perfect,
but covered with stones. The places of any intermediate circles which may
have existed (between this and No. i, so as to make the chain perfect) have
been occupied by the road and houses on either side." — P.
MS. "Letters," /«:.«/.
LXVIII. No. 56. Situated immediately to the N. of the cairn called Listoghil,
and about 70 paces from it (dolmen-circle). " The diameter of this circle is about
36 feet, and it is nearly perfect The cromleac is quite so." — P.
" The cap-stones of the original kistvaen are gone. The general form of the
tomb is that of the figure of 8, with a narrow opening between the compartments.
The longer axis is N.N.E. and S.S.W. The interment had been greatly disturbed."
There was evidence of uncalcined as well as calcined human interment. At the
N.N.E. end of the cist there was a calcined interment, and above it an unburn t
interment Of this the atlas and lower jaw of an adult were nearly perfect, with
four back teeth and three incisors. There were also portions of a cranium. Besides
these there were six bones of a young child, and a few bones of a small rodent
As the excavation proceeded, that is, went deeper, fragments of calcined human
remains were turned up. They consisted of eight hundred and seventy-three small
fragments of bones, one sound lower molar tooth, and two pieces of a skull. The
bones had been imperfectly burned. Several fire-marked and partially carbonized
bones were observable (as well as others in a fragmentary condition), such as the
anterior half of the axis (second cervical vertebra). Pieces of the right and left
halves of the body of the lower jaw, the right half containing a sound, firmly im-
planted first molar tooth, the left half containing the roots (aU sound) of the
first molar, two bicuspids (premolars), and the canine teeth ; four pieces of the flat
bones of the skull (parietal or frontal) ; human teeth, ue. four fragments of, and
four complete incisors, two bicuspids, and four lower molars, the crowns of each
molar sound. Amongst the fragments which formed the bulk of this collection
there were many which showed the crack-like marks noticed in the contents of
other graves. In fact, some of the bones appear as if they had been subjected to
greater heat than others.
" At the lowest level of the side-stones of the cist — which were of the average
height of 4 feet — a floor, or flagging, of calpy limestone flags was found. On this the
bodies seemed to have been originally cremated, portions of the floor showing marks
of fire. Semi-burnt wood was also found intact in places, with a layer of calcined
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170 The Dolmens of Ireland.
bones above." It was also plainly evident, according to Mr. James Graves, from
the fact that the flooring and the burnt bones extended under the side-stones of
the cist, that these side-stones and their cover, which formed the dolmen, had
been set up aver the funeral pyre, that the calcined remams formed the primary
interment, and that they had not been placed within an already completed
chamber, but that that chamber had been built on and around them, the flagging
which formed its flooring having served as the original hearth. '' No implements,
ornaments, or traces of fictilia were discovered." — W. M.
MS. " Letters," /«•. cit.; R.S.M., pp. 77-79.
LXIX. No. 57. Situated about 8 paces to the E. of LXVIII (dohnen-circle).
*' This circle is perfect, and consists of thirty-two (thirty-three according to W. M.)
stones of large size. The diameter is 47 feet. The cromleac is destroyed." — P.
*'The result of searches in various spots within the circle was but a few
uncalcined bones, also a small fragment of worked flint, and a flint flake, or spear-
head."— W. M.
The circle is slightly oval, measuring 60 feet from £. to W., and 52 from
N. to S. (out to out).
MS. " Letters," loc, cit. ; R.S.M., 79, 80.
LXX. No. 58. Situated 30 paces to the N.K LXIX (dolmen-circle). "This
circle is entirely destroyed, but the supporting-stones of the cromleac, seven in
number, remain." — P. This monument ''consists of an oblong cist, or enclosure,
which was probably at one time covered. If it were ever surrounded by a circle, it
has been long since destroyed. This site was most carefully searched, yet no
fragments of bone could be discovered, neither were there any signs of charcoal.
A flint flake, or knife, was here unearthed, but its point was missing." — W. M.
From the plan, the monument seems to be 20 feet long, from out to out, and the
longer axis of the chamber N.W. and S.£. Four or Ave stones at the S.£. end
look as if they had formed portion of such an oval enclosure as surrounds
monuments such as the Leaba-na-Callighe in Cork, to which class, rather than to
that of the dolmen-circle, this structure possibly belongs.
MS. ** Letters," he. at. ; R.S.M., p. 80.
LXXI. No. 59. Situated a few paces to the E. of the preceding (dolmen-circle).
*' In this instance the circle is also absent The suppor ling-stones of the cromleac
remain. They consist of nine stones, and are arranged in a circle [a feature which,
however, does not appear in Col. Wood-Martin's plan]. This is the last of the series
of these monuments of which I could find any distinct traces." — P.
'' This monument seems to have been originally a rectangular cist, of which four
side stones alone remain in situ. Its longer axis is about N.N.E. and S.S.W.
Remains of human bones were found only under and about one of the fallen side-
slabs (second from bottom of plan, £. side of cist). The position of these was
enough to show that the usual plan of cremation or torrefaction of the dead (that, at
least, which was practised in the case of LXVIII) had also obtained here."
Two small fragments of worked bone were discovered, which had been evidently
the head or termination of some object or objects. One of them resembled the
semicircular piece of bone found in No. i. There was also a fragment of a very
white and highly calcined object with a sharply incised hole, not, however, penetrating
quite through. It might be semi-opal, or hydrated silica.
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County of Sligo. 171
The other remains found in this cist consisted of—
(a) 2i lbs. weight of greyish-white bones, seemingly calcined : amongst them
were fragments of those of birds and animals, some showing a dark-blue
colour (vivtanite) on the inside.
{b) Small finger-tops, probably those of a young person or child, a tooth of a
child, and also one of an adult.
{c) Fragment of calcined cranium.
(d) Some bones of a dog, a fragment of a lower jaw^ and other animal remains
of a peculiar white colour.
(e) A few uncalcined bones.
(/) Four pieces of fractured white quartz, the two largest weighing 2 oz. and
li oz. respectively.
(^) Two specimens of CyaihophyUum^ a fossil coral from the Sligo limestone. —
W. M.
According to the plan, this monument probably measured about 20 feet
in length.
MS. "Letters," loe. cU,; R.S.M., pp. 80-82.
No. 60. To the S. of one of the roads leading from Sligo to CloverhiU, and £.
of that from Sligo to Seafield, N.E. of the oval chain of circles. '' Known in the
district by the name of Caltragh." Petrie here explains this term, as it was locally
explained, no doubt, '' the church or graveyard, from the fact that the whole of it is
filled with human bones. No interment has ever been made in it in the memory
of man, nor is there any tradition of a church ever having been there."
It is evidently a work of pagan times, and the conclusion may, perhaps, be drawn
with safety, says Petrie, that, '' while the other monuments were the tombs of chiefs
or princes, this was the general cemetery of the soldiers or common people."
Col. Wood-Martin, in like manner, regards it as the general burying-ground
for the ordinary population of the district, ^' as distinguished from the sepulchres
within the circles, which would appear to be those of a family or of a chief."
*' It is a great, circular enclosure (92 paces in diameter from N. to S., and about
the same from £. to W.), originally surrounded, as in all the preceding examples, by
a circle of large stones. Most of these stones have been removed to clear the
land, and those which remain are nearly covered with earth." — P.
"The interior forms a gently rising hillock . . . Owing to the quantity of
human remains turned up when the grassy surface was broken for tillage, it is stated
to have been soon again laid down by the tenant, who imagined the crop of
potatoes would be too oily in taste 1 ... It is an enlarged and developed
reproduction of No. 8. . • • Some years ago part of the field outside the periphery
of the caltragh was tilled, and is said to have been full of human remains. In
one small spot in the slope of the hill, from which the sod had been stripped by
cattle, fragments of calcined and uncalcined bones, periwinkle shells, a fragment of
fractured white quartz, and animal teeth, both calcined and uncalcined, were
picked up."— W. M.
MS. "Letters," loe. cit. ; R.S.M., pp. 82, 83.
LXXII. No. 61. Situated three fields N. of the road leading from Rath-Carrick
to Sligo^ in the Townland of Bamasrahy (dolmen-circle). "I have (now) to notice,"
says Petrie, ''some other monuments which, though not immediately connected
with the series already noticed, are still so contiguous as to make it probable
that they belonged to it After finishing my descriptive remarks on the series
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of monuments grouped together in the Townland of Carrowmore, it occurred to
me as probable that a careful examination of the Townlands lying N. and S. might
furnish evidences that the series had been carried on originally from one extremity
of the peninsula of Cuilirra to the other. I accordingly traversed the ground on
both these sides with great attention, and, though my anticipations were not realized
towards the S., the investigation was rewarded by the discovery of several monuments
to the N., of the existence of which I should have remained ignorant but for this
search."
" Of the first of the circles thus discovered there are but five stones remaining
in the original position. They are above 6 feet in height, and from the portion of
the circle which they form it may be concluded with certainty that this monument
was of unusual extent and grandeur." — P.
" Taking one arc, the diameter of this circle would have been 75 feet, and by
the other it would have been no feet" — W. M.
MS. "Letters," he, cit. ; R.S.M., p. 83.
LXXIII, LXXIV. No. 61 (a) and No. 61 {b). Situated intermediately between
LXXII and the tumulus and cairn which follow ; in Townland of Bamasrahy (two
dolmen-circles). " Unnoticed by Petrie." " They have almost totally disappeared."
— W. M.
R.S.M., p. 83.
No. 62. Situated immediately adjacent to the circle LXXII in Townland of
Bamasrahy (tumulus). Known popularly by the name Crtukan-a-Curragh^ i.e.
'* the Little Hill on the Marsh." '* A tumulus composed of stones and clay. It is
about 180 feet in circumference, and 15 feet in height, the top flat, as usual in
sepulchral cairns, or rather hollowed." — P.
"Circumference at base, 135 feet [the result of measurement, which Petrie's
. probably was not] ; length of slope 19 feet ; diameter at top 1 1 feet The depression
in the centre of the summit is i foot 6 ins., and the saucer-shaped hollow is well
defined by a circle of carefully arranged stones. This tumulus, to all appearance,
has never been opened." — ^W. M.
MS. ** Letters," loc. cit. ; R.S.M.. pp. 83, 84.
LXXV. No. 63. Situated a few yards to the S.K of the tumulus No. 62, in the
Townland of Bamasrahy (chambered-caim). **A circle quite perfect, but the
stones in some places are nearly covered with earth. It is 70 feet in diameter. The
interior of this circle is remarkable for a peculiar arrangement of stones. Human
bones have been found within the central enclosure, and, as stated by the people
in the neighbourhood, a bronze sword was found about forty years ago " {i,e, forty
years before 1837). — P.
This plan of Petrie's seemed so very peculiar to Col. Wood-Martin that he
obtained, with the aid of Mr. C. B. Jones, M.LC.E., a detailed plan, made after the
monument had been cleared of eardi and stones, and the cists it was found to con-
tain, excavated. '* As the stones forming the central monument became apparent,
one of the workmen was the first to perceive its meaning. He exclaimed, ' It is
crissy cross; I saw one like it in Ulster.' There can be no doubt that this grave
represents a peculiarly formed cross, the only one so shaped which CoL Wood-
Martin had met with. Although the site of the central interment was most care-
fully gone over, no trace of the interment itself was discovered, save one uncalcined
bone, pronounced not to be human. A few small fragments of calcined bones were
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County of Sligo.
173
found on the floor of the eastern cist, which was formed by a single slab. The
site of a western cist, which had been destroyed by the tenant, was pointed out
Several stones in the circle had been removed by him into adjoining fences, and
at three places in the ring he had exhumed bones and charcoal." — W. M.
In their cruciform arrangement the chambers of this cairn-circle, or chambered-
caim, are to be compared with those in the monument XXXVII of this group, with
some of the Achill cairns, with New Grange, etc. There seems, however, in this
example to have been a central and probably original dolmen^ having its longer
axis N.E. and S. W. It had five (originally sbc) stones on its N.W. side, and two at
either end, and measured about 20 feet long (from out to out) by some 8 feet broad.
Into this, at the S.£. corner, opened a narrow passage, about 25 feet long and 2
or 3 feet wide (internally), connecting the centnd structure with the stones of the
ring, one of which probably closed its mouth. To the E. and W., just where this
passage entered the large chamber, two arms branched off, each measuring 10 or 12
feet long, and seemingly expanding at their interior ends. In the case of one of the
cairns at Slievemore in Achill I have noticed the probable existence of a large oblong
chamber as the central feature of a cruciform arrangement of cists and circles. In
this case, if I mistake not, such a structure formed not the centre of the cross,
as in that case, but its upper limb or head.
In the Townland of Bamasrahy (urn). Col. Wood-Martin is of opinion that it was
from this cairn (LXXV) that an urn was taken which is now in the museum of the
Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick Castle. " This urn is perhaps the most highly
finished of all the sepulchral fictilia as
yet known to have been found in the
CO. Sligo. ... It is rough, hard-burned,
and light-red in colour. It measures
4 inches in height, and 5 inches across
the mouth. The colour is uniform
throughout, internally and externally,
showing no traces of fire inside."
The decoration which, arranged in
fourteen horizontal bands, runs around
the exterior of the vessel, is mostly in
relief, and may be divided into four
sections. The upper portion consists
of five bands, the top one decorated by
vertical mouldings, as is also the third,
the second and fourth being plain, and the fifth moulded diagonally, giving it the
appearance of a twisted rope. The next section below this is represented by a
bulge in the vessel around which three bands are carried, the upper one plain,
the second traversed by an obtuse-angled chevron, or rather, by a wavy pattern
in high relief, and the third moulded horizontally, as in the upper and third band
in the first section. Below the bulge comes a single band, forming the third section,,
moulded diagonally in repetition of the fifth band in the first section. Below this
is a second bulge, from which the vessel tapers away to its base, forming the
fourth section. This is divided into five bands. The upper one is plain ; the
second is a repetition of the wavy pattern in relief on the upper bulge ; the third
is a fourth example of the vertical moulding ; the fourth (a very narrow band)
is plain; and the fifth and lowest is traversed by arrangements of four lines,
alternately horizontal and vertical This latter pattern, it may be remarked, brings
Fig. 164. — Urn from Barnasrahy. From CoU
Wood'MarHn's R.S.M.
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174 The Dolmens of Ireland.
this vessel into touch with several cinerary urns found on the one hand in the N.
of England (Cumberland), and on the other, in Cornwall.
R.S.Mm p 85 ; see also " Descriptive Catalogue of Antiquities at Alnwick Castle,'* pi. xv.
The other portions of the decoration are repeated on many other examples of
similarly sized vessels found in connection with sepulture in other parts of Ireland.
The double bulge is not an uncommon feature.
No. 64. " On the mearing (or boundaries) of three Townlands (Bamasrahy,
Tobemaveen, and Woodville Demesne "), where three parishes meet (holed stone).
This stone is popularly called Cloch Breac, " or the speckled stone," adds Petrie,
'* from its mottled appearance."
*' ' Cloch-bhreac,' also * Clochlia,' or the 'Gray Stone.'"— W. M.
In the neighbourhood of the Bamasrahy cairns and circles Petrie discovered " a
remarkable stone, which may," he says, " be of coeval antiquity. It is a thin flag of
limestone set on edge, and about nine feet in height and breadth. It has a square
hole, artificially formed towards one side, which measures about a foot" — P.
" The stone is ... 10 feet in breadth above ground. Towards its £. side this
flagstone is pierced by a squarish, or rather oblong, perforation 3 feet in length
by 2 feet in breadth. The little stream which issues from Todar-an-bh-Fian, laves
its base, which must be buried deeply in the earth." — W. M.
MS. " Letters," be, ctt, ; R.S.M., pp. 98, 99.
In the vicinity of the group in the Townland of Barnasrahy are two tumuli
described as '' two fort-like mounds which, from their small size, are probably of
a mortuary character."
R.S.M., p. 94.
No. 65. In the Townland of Tobemaveen, " a little to the S. of the Cloch
Breac:" (well). Tober-na-bh-Fian, U. "The Well of the Warriors," says Petrie.
He seems inclined to connect this well with the Carrowmore series to the S. of it ;
for, speaking of such monuments in general, he says that they are known by the
names of Lcaaba-na-Fian, " The Beds or Graves of the Warriors," or " Leaba-na-Fear-
More, The Beds of the Big Men, or Giants."
"A remarkable well, or spring." — P.
MS. ••Letters,»'i5v.«/.
No. 65^. In the Townland of Tobemaveen, E. of the Well, and W, of the
road from Sligo to Seafield (caltragh, or rath). This is marked No 65^ in CoU
Wood-Martin's map, but I do not find a reference to it in the text.
MS. "Letters," loc, cit,^ and plan, p. 462 ; R.S.M., pp. S4, 85 ; R.S.M., map, p. 15.
100. In the Townland of Tobernavean, and Parish of Kil-
macowen, is a dolmen-circle indicated in the Ord. Surv. Map
No. 14, and marked 10^ in Col. Wood-Martin's copy of it. In
the same Townland is the well called "Tobernavean," and the
** Clochabreacha " holed stone above mentioned, as well as two
** Caltraghs." Three other Townlands, in Mayo, Galway, and
Antrim respectively, bear the name Tobernavean, or -veen. This
Townland adjoins that of Carrowmore on the N.
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County of Sligo. 175
101-113. In the Townland of Graigue, and Parish of Kil-
macowen, adjoining Carrowmore on the S.W., were thirteen
dolmen-circles, eight of which are marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 14. There is also a '* caltragh" in this Townland.
1 14-118. In the Townland of Barnasrahy, adjoining that of
Tobernavean on the N.W., were five dolmen-circles, the positions
of which are indicated in Ord. Surv, Map No. 14.
N.B. — The entire group in the four Townlands of Carrow-
more, Graigue, Barnasrahy, and Tobernavean, thus comprises
some 85 dolmen-circles within an oval space of less than a mile
and three quarters from N, to S„ by less than half a mile from
E. to W., and within the memory of man there were many more.
In the Barony of Tireragh.
I, 2. In the Townland of Portland, and Parish of Easky, one
mile S, of Easky, and on the river of that name, are two
dolmens, one only of which, marked Cromlech, is shown in Ord.
Surv. Map No. ii.
The dolmen in this Townland is a small one, but in excellent preservation.
CoL Wood-Martin describes the other monument as a '' Giant's Grave, 13 feet long
by 5 feet broad, and surrounded by boulders set on edge."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 219.
3. In the Townland of Cloneen, and Parish of Kilmacshalgan,
S. of the Townland of Portland, was a dolmen, not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. ii.
Mr. J. Camegy stated that in this Townland there had been the remains of a
'' Griddle" (the local name for a dolmen) in a dilapidated state, and not of any great
size ; it consisted of six supports and covering-slab. It has been destroyed.
Quoted by Col. Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 219.
In the Townland of Scurmore, and Parish of Castleconnor, is
a megalithic monument, close to the sea, marked, in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 16, Standing Stones called Children of the Mermaid,
It is on the N.E. side of a tumulus called Cruchancornia, but it
is not a dolmen.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 227.
4, 5, 6. In the Townland of Tawnatruflfaun, and Parish of
Kilmacshalgan, a Giant's Griddle is marked in the old 6-inch
scale Ord. Surv. Map (1837) No. 17. It is placed on the Fiddan-
garrode River, near its confluence with the Easky. To the N.E.
is Clocha-brack Hill^ and near the monument to the E., a Grave
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176
The Dolmens of Ireland.
is marked. Thirty-five paces N. of this Giants Grave, which
was locally called The Griddle, was a second, and the farmer
informed Col. Wood-Martin that there had been a third.
The Giant's Griddle, says CoL Wood-Martin, is " a fine example of a cromleac,
but, unfortunately, the support at its N.W. termination has fallen inwards, thus
diminishing the average height above ground of the level of the under surface of
the covering-slab, which had been originally, in all probability, 6 feet"
The covering-stone measures 1 1 feet 6 ins, long by about 9 feet broad, and is
from I foot 9 ins. to 2 feet 9 ins. thick.
Upon a stone built into a fence which touches the dolmen are sculptured a cup
Fig. 165. — Tawnatruflfaun. Afttr a sketch by Mr, Wakeman in Col, Wood-Martin's RS,M,
and circle deeply incised, and upon another is a somewhat similar device. The
carvings measure about 4 inches in diameter.
The second dolmen Col. Wood-Martin terms a "cisL" It measures 14 feet
long, and possesses a covering-stone. It lies only 35 paces firom the " Griddle."
The longer axis lies £. and W., but the monument is in a ruinous condition.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 220.
7, 8. In the Townland of Caltragh, W. of that of Tawna
truffaun, two dolmens are marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17.
The names given there are Griddle-more-na-vean, and Griddle-
beg-na-vean. They are in the Parish of Kilmacshalgan, and close
to the Owenykeevan River.
The first of these two dolmens was described by Gabriel Beranger. " It is
fixed," he says, '^ on a small hill ... in a bog ten miles long and about three
broad. It is a famous cromlech." According to CoL Wood-Martin the height
of the cap-stone firom the ground is about 5 feet 6 ins. It is supported by five
pillar-stones, and is at the higher end of the monument, the total length of which
is 30 feet
G. Beranger, ** Diary," circa 1760; Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 226.
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County of Sligo.
177
9. In the Townland of Belville, and Parish of Kilmacshalgan,
is a dolmen named Cloghabracka in Ord. Surv. Map No. 18. In
Fig. 166. — Caltragh : the **Griddle-more-na-Vean." From a sketch by Mr, Wakeman in
Col. Wood-Martin's R.S,M.
English it is called the " Bracked Stones," and lies near the W.
bank of the Dunneill River.
From the views of this given by Col. Wood-Martin, it is clear that it is a dolmen
in its elongated form. It appeared to him to consist of " two cromleacs connected
by intermediate compartments, the two terminal septa being the largest" The
covering-stones of these are both displaced; the one was 5 feet 2 ins., the other
4 feet above ground.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 216, 217.
ID. In the Townland of Grangebeg, and Parish of Templeboy,
is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Sur^^ Map No. i8.
This is an oblong structure, measuring about 30 feet long from out to out, and
having its long axis nearly E. and W.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 216, 217.
II, 12, 13. In the Townland of Tanrego West, and Parish of
Dromard, on the W. shore of Ballysadare Bay, a Cromleac (sic)
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 19, and also Graves. Col.
Wood-Martin describes two " Giants' Graves " to the left of the
lane leading from the Ballina road to the sea. As they are only
200 yards apart, whereas the Graves in the Ord. Surv. Map are
full a quarter of a mile from the Cromleac, he probably refers to
the former, and does not mention the latter.
Of one of these CoL Wood-Martin says : " Two of the uprights still remaining
are each about 6 feet in height ; the very large covering-slab has been thrown off."
VOL. I. N
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
From the sketch given by him it would appear to be the ruin of a very large
elongated structure, consisting of a lofty chamber from which ran a covered passage.
At the £. end, however, there seem to be the remains of some rudely circular
structures, formed possibly, subsequent to its ruin, out of the stones of the monu-
riz^.
~ "^^^^^r/
P
M
*
Fig. 167.— Tanrego East (dolmen-circle). From an original sketch and plan by Gabriel Beranger,
ment The stones, some fifty in number, extend over a space some 80 feet in
length, the longer axis of the ruin lying E. and W.
The second monument, equally dilapidated and puzzling, is situated at a distance
of 200 yards from the other. The ruins of it cover an area, from E. to W., of about
65 feet, and comprise fifty-two stones.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 194, 195.
14, 15. In the Townland of Tanrego East (als. Carrowmore),
adjoining that of Tanrego West, a Cromleac is marked in Ord.
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County of Sligo. 179
Surv. Map No. 19, In the same Townland and Parish (Dromard)
at Beltraw Strand, or Traigh Eothuile, was a dolmen-circle, which
Beranger calls CuchullitCs Tomb.
I do not find that Col. Wood-Martin mentions the first of these monuments.
Of the second I am able to give the plan and elevation made by Gabriel Beranger.
His statement in his *' Diary" is that he '^ stopped to draw a plan and view of
Cuchullin's tomb— a circle of stones 27 feet in diameter, but much covered by the
sand which the waves carry on it" It is evidently a dolmen-circle such as those
at Carrowmore on the opposite side of the bay.
G. Beranger's "Diary;" Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 192; O.S.L., Co. Sligo, -— , p. 322,
et seqq. ' • H
16. In the Townland of MuUaghroe, and Parish of Skreen,
about half a mile S.E. of the Church, was a dolmen-cairn not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 19. It is not on the summit of
the hill, further up which, to the W., is a large stone fort,
marked Red HilL
" Lower down the hill" (than the Red Hill Fort), writes Mr. Robert Jones to
Mr. R. C. Walker, in 1843, " I discovered the cam," i.e. Mullach Ruadha, "which
had been opened, and contained several small chambers. The principal one has
still the covering-stone on it, but it is filled with smaller stones underneath. The
cam is of an oval form, 96 paces round. It is formed of limestones. The first
chamber has a double covering of large limestone flags, the sides being formed of
upright flags of the small material, like a small cromleac, and is about 6 feet square.
There appear to be several other smaller ones, which have been opened, and the
rubbish thrown back."
See O'Donovan's " Tribes and Customs of the Hy.-Fiachrach,*' pp. 97, 416, 417.
17. In the Townland of Knockanbaun, and Parish of Kilmac-
shalgan, about two miles S. of the Workhouse at Dromore
West, and " about 400 yards from a buried circle, is a Cromleac,
or Griddle, as these monuments are called in this district," not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 1 7.
Mr. J. Carnegy states there was a cromleac here, " the top-stone of which was
of great size."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 219.
In the Barony of Leyny.
1,2. In the Townland of Gortakeeran, and Parish of Killoran,
a Gianl's Grave is thus marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 25. It
is S. of Mullagh Lough. Col. Wood-Martin notices a second in
this Townland. They are situated about two miles from Coolaney,
on the slope of the Ox Mountains.
Of these two monuments, one was greatly dilapidated ; it appeared to have
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been "a simple oblong enclosure about i8 feet long, the longer axis of which was
S.E. and N.W.
The second — ^higher up the mountain — measures about 36 feet in length, and
lies nearly K and W. It broadens considerably from the E. end, where it is about
2 feet 6 ins. wide, to the W. end, where it is 5 feet wide. A flagstone on edge,
about 7 feet long, divides the long and narrowing £. portion of the monument from
the portico, or antechamber, which forms the W. extremity. Several roofing-stones
are in place, and there are stones on either side which indicate the presence of an
0=3/^ ^
Fig. 168. — Gortakeeran. Enlarged from a plan in Col, Wood-Martinis R,S.M,
outer range. CoL Wood-Martin looked on those towards the W. end as having
formed cists, giving to the monument a cruciform shape, and he also thought that
the main chamber consisted of a series of cists. Both these views, judging from
the analogy of other monuments of like type in Cavan and elsewhere, I consider
doubtful, since I think the outer range is a peristyle, and the transverse stones
buttresses to the main structure. It would be hard to find a monument the groimd-
plan of which more exactly reproduces that of the great dolmen at Burren, near
Blacklion, in Cavan. {Vide infra.)
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 211.
3, 4. In the Townland of Cabragh, adjoining that of Gorta-
keeran on the W., and in the Parish of Killoran, a Gianfs Grave
is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 25. Col. Wood-Martin
gives a second in the same Townland.
" The first of these, situated below the road, consists," says Col. Wood-Martin,
" of a circle, about 33 paces in diameter. The central cist occupies most of the
enclosure, its longer axis bearing E. and W."
The second is on higher ground, and resembles that at Gortakeeran. There is,
however, no transverse flag forming a compartment. It measures 27 feet long, its
longer axis lying E. 35° S. It is environed by a heart-shaped arrangement of
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County of Sligo.
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flagstones — not boulders — set on edge, the longest diameter of which is 40
feet
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 212.
5. In the Townland of Knockatotaun, and Parish of Killoran,
Fig. 169.— Knockatotaun. From a sketch by Mr, Wakeman in CoL Wood-Martinis R,S,M.
a Druid's Altar is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 25. It is
sometimes called simply LeaCy i.e. Flagstone,
"A fine specimen of a Giant's Grave," the covering-slab of which, nearly
horizontal, rests now only on four supports, and measures 11 feet from N. to S. by
a little more than 9 feet from K to W. It has an average thickness of 9 inches,
and the height from the ground to its upper surface is 4 feet 3 ins."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 213.
6. In the Townland of Castlerock, als. Castlecarragh, a Der-
mot and Granids Bed is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 31.
The ruins of this monument show that it measured about 30 feet long, and had
a longer axis pointing nearly £. and W.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 214.
7. In the Townland of Rathscanlan, and Parish of Achonry,
Oc=D
^J Q
i
Fig. 170.— Rathscanlan. Ptdn in Col. Wood-Martin's Ji,S,M.
a Giant's Grave is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 38. It is
close to the village of Tubbercurry.
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i82 The Dolmens of Ireland.
This monument is, to judge by the ground plan of its ruins, an example of two
chambers placed about 12 feet apart, but in line, the longer axis of each being
nearly E. and W. They stand on an oblong mound. The W. one measures about
22 feet long, and the E. one about 6 feet longer.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 214.
8. In the Townland of Wellmount, and Parish of Achonry, is
a dolmen-circle.
A sepulchral circle, showing traces of a central monument. Close to it is a
burying-ground called the Caltragh,
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 213.
*9, *io. In the Townland of Chaffpool, and Parish of Achonry,
are '* two megaliths," not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 38.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 207.
In the Barony of Tirerrill.
*i. In the Townland of Castleore (properly Cashelore), and
Parish of Killerry, at a distance of 400 yards E. of Cashel Oir^
als. Bawnboy, is a monument of the dolmen class, not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 21.
This monument consists of an elongated cist, having for its E. end a portion of
the stones forming the periphery of a circle. The cist measures about 14 feet long
internally, and lies approximately E. and W. Col. Wood-Martin suggests, with
great probability, that the W. end of the cist was also at one time terminated by a
circle, as in the case of a monument at Highwood in this same Barony, and also in
that of another in the Island of AchilL
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 203, 204.
2. In the Townland of Carrownagh, and Parish of Killerry, a
Druid's Altar is so named in Ord. Surv. Map No. 21. It is
called locally Leaba Dhiarmada agus Grainni.
The longest axis is about E. and W., and the length 27 feet
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 202.
3. In the Townland Arnasbrack, adjoining that of Carrow-
nagh on the W., and between Lough Dargen and the Carrownagh
dolmen, is another marked Giant's Grave, Clogher More (properly
Cloch-M6r) in Ord. Surv. Map No. 21. It is 300 yards W. of
that at Carrownagh.
This was originally an oblong enclosure erected on a mound, and lying nearly
due E. and W. The ruins extend over a length of 55 feet It is hard to say
exactly what the original plan was.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 201.
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4. In the Townland of Ballysadare, and Parish of Ballysadare,
just N. of the town, a Gianfs Grave, indicated by an oval heap of
stones, is shown in the first edition of the 6-inch Ord. Surv. Map
No. 20. A Townland called Kilboglashy lies on the opposite
side of the river.
May not this be the *' Giant's Grave" for which CoL Wood-Martin tells us he
made fruitless search in the adjoining Townland of Knockmuldoney ? He was
led to do so by "a statement that,
many years ago, an urn had been found
in a stone chamber in the vicinity of
Ballysadare, and that the ' Giant's
Grave,' in which it had been found,
was situated formerly in the Townland
of Knockmuldoney, but had been swept
away. The urn, it was alleged, had
been deposited in the museum of the
R.I. Academy."
Now, in that museum there is an
urn labelled, " found in a stone chamber
at Ballagradone, in the Co. of Sligo."
But, as no such place as this exists.
Col. Wood-Martin thinks it may be a F'O. 171.— Urn from Ballysadare (?). F^m a
^^^,^«i^« ^ ^-r^-Tj 11 J / drcttving by Mr, Wakeman in CoL Wood' Martinis
copyisrs error for Ballysadare {agr = ys, r,s,m,
and one = are). Putting together the
current local statement and the words on the label, he justly, I think, comes
to the conclusion that both refer to the same monument and the same discovery.
No trace, however, could he find in Knockmuldoney of such a monument, and
no wonder, since it had been swept away ; but such a monument, according to
the earlier edition of the Ord Survey Map, did exist in Ballysadare when the
first survey was taken, and it was called the Gianfs Grave. We may presume,
however, that it was " swept away," for no such name occurs in the more recent
Survey, while the proximity of the railway to the spot where it was, leads to the
supposition that it was demolished when the line was made. The urn in the Mus.
R.I.A., which has been encrusted with carbonate of lime, ''presents a great
variety of designs, decorated bands, chevrons, dots, and lines. It measures about
4 inches high, 5f inches wide, and 4| inches across the mouth. The remarks I
have made with regard to the ornamentation on the Bamasrahy urn apply equally
to this one (see p. 173).
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 199, 20a
5. In the Townland of Springfield, and Parish of Tawnagh,
on the line railroad from Longford to Sligo, was a row of dolmens,
i.e. large cists called Giants Graves, not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 34.
** A row of cists, described as stone coffins, from 4 to 5 feet high. They would
appear to have been in line and close together. Nothing but dark-coloured greasy
earth was found in them."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 199.
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1 84
The Dolmens of Ireland.
6. In the Townland of Carrickglass, and Parish of Killadoon,
three-quarters of a mile N.W. of Lough Arrow, a Druid's Altar
t^A- F^^ Mql-.^''
Fig. 172. — Carrickglass. From an original drawing hy Petrie,
is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 34. It is locally called
"TheLabby."
This dolmen is one of the most remarkable in Ireland, as well as one of the
largest, and, as regards the in-
cumbent block, one of the most
rugged in appearance. This
block is a grey magnesian lime-
stone, showing cracks or cre-
vices, both horizontal and per-
pendicular, and is overgrown
with moss and lichea It is
oblong in shape, measuring 15
feet 4 ins. long on either side,
by over 8 feet broad at one end,
and 10 feet at the other. It is
8 feet thick, so that the weight
cannot fall far short of 70 tons.
Beneath this ponderous mass an oblong chamber has been formed, and upon
four of the side stones of which it has
^^^ ' \ been constructed, the superincumbent rock
reposes. One end of the chamber is formed
by two slabs, one placed behind the other,
as if the more effectually to close it, an
arrangement I have observed in several other
monuments. The outer slab measures 6 feet
long by 2 feet broad ; the inner slab 4 feet
long by I foot to i foot 6 ins. broad. The
chamber itself measures 6 to 7 feet long by
3 feet wide. Each side is formed by a single
slab, the one, 8 feet long, extending beyond the chamber so as to touch the outer
Fig. 173 — Carrickglass — another view. After a draiving by
Mr, IVakeman in CoL Wood-Martin's I!.S,M.
Fig. 174.— Carrickglass. Ground-plan
after Wood-Martin,
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County of Sligo.
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of the two end stones, the other, only 4 feet 6 ins. long, falling short of the length
of the chamber. Each of these stones is about i foot 6 ins. in thickness. The
further, or outer end of the chamber, is formed by a thin slab, 4 feet long, and
scarcely i foot thick, one end of which rests against the end of a stone, 4 feet
long, and 2 feet thick, which forms one side of a portico, or antechamber, the
opposite side of which consists of a single stone, 2 feet 6 ins. long, and i foot 6 ins.
thick.
Col. Wood-Martin mentions that an interment was found underneath the
covering-stone of this dolmen.
Drawings by George Petrie, in Lib. R.L A. ; Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 188, 189.
7. In the Townland of Ballindoon, and Parish of Killadoon,
IS a dolmen, not marked on Ord. Surv. Map No. 34. It is about
half a mile S.W. of Carrickglass, on the N.E. shore of Lough
Arrow.
" A ruined grave," which appeared to have been oblong. It had been over-
hauled. Only four of the supports were in their original position, and the covermg-
flag was placed edgeways at the head.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 186.
8, 9, 10, II. In the Townland of Coolmurly, and Parish of
Kilmactranny, three Giants Graves are so marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 25. To these Col. ^ — .
Wood-Martin adds a fourth. ^
There is a Toberglasny in this c r — \^ ^^^.
Townland. /^\, \ \
{d) The stones which formed this I j ^ V \
monument are almost all absent, ex- ^-^ ^ ^ y- r r^ \
cept at the W. end and S.W. angle. ^"""^ ^-'^"'^ ^
It would appear that the area nar-
rowed as it approached the E. end. ,„„„„„i.„„..(Ml(i;|(//l|(fM(//l'//l/,'//ll//((l/' Q
The W. end measures 21 feet broad, ^ — '
and is composed of five stones. Two l/l/l/l((//r|(("'"l'l/l//'»"/l/'/|//"(/(/l'Ul/'''
covering-slabs, with their supports, Fig. 175.— Coolmurly. Plan in CoL Wood-Martin's
were still in their places in 1888. H.SM,
It is said that human remains were found underneath the covering-slabs by
Lady L. Tennison.
{b) This structure is oblong in plan, and is divided into four compartments. It
lies about N. and S. The compartment at either extremity is smaller than either of
the two central ones. The width of the structure is 7 feet 6 ins. at one end, and
6 feet at the other, internally. The sizes of the cists respectively are 7 feet 6 ins. by
3 feet ; 7 feet 6 ins. by 8 feet 6 ins. ; 7 feet 6 ins. to 6 feet 6 ins. by 7 feet 6 ins. ;
and 6 feet by 5 feet The smallest is that at the S. extremity, which is, however,
the broader. CoL Wood-Martin thinks that the ends may have terminated in circles,
as in several other examples of this class of structure, which is that, not of the
dolmens proper, but of the chambered cairns, which were roofed in, not by single
flags, but by layers of smaller stones. To the W. are faint traces of an earthen
mound or enclosure.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
(c) The vestiges of a monument in a state of dilapidation.
(d) A monument of ovoid form, tapering almost to a point at one end, where
the stones composing the sides are smaller than at the further end, which is formed
of large slabs. The length internally is 24 feet, and the greatest breadth 9 feet
Col. Wood-Martin thinks it terminated in two circles, no indications of which are,
however, shown in his ground-plan.
Wood Martin, R.S.M., pp. 172-175.
12, 13, 14. In the Townland of Moytirra West (or rather
** North," it should be), called also Moytirra Mac Donagh, was
Fig. 176. — Cloch-na-tri-posta, Moytirra. J^om an original sketch by Petrie,
(a) a Druids Altar, so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35. It
Fig. 177, — Cloch-na-tri-posta, Moytirra. From an original sketch by Petrie,
was called Cloch-na'tri-posta. Col. Wood-Martin mentions a
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County of Sligo. 187
demolished dolmen in this Townland, and Parish of Kilmac-
tranny, which is probably the same. Mr. O'Keefe speaks of a dol-
men in this Townland called " Leaba Diarmada agus Grainnfe " (6).
A third monument is a tumulus with megalithic cists {c).
(a) This dolmen, which Col. Wood-Martin places among the Highwood group, is
represented above (p. 1 86) in two hitherto unpublished drawings by Petrie. It appears
from these that it consisted of a covering-slab supported by two tall pillar-stones at
one end, and by a lower slab at the other, giving to the incumbent stone a slanting
position. It was called C/ocA na triposta. As I find no notice of it by the name it
bore, in Col Wood-Martin's work, I conclude it to be the same monument which
he numbers 21, and of which he writes : " In the Townland of Moytirra West there
stood formerly a very fine cromleac. It was perfect at the time of the Ordnance
Survey. Its end was peculiar. An old man told us that he was, one morning,
passing not far from it, when he heard a great crash, and a cloud of dust rose like a
column of smoke. The support had, after the lapse of centuries, given way. We
could not learn whether it had been explored ; and it was now (1888) in too ruined
a condition for a sketch to be of the slightest interest"
ip) O'Conor, in the Ord. Surv. Letters, speaks of a grave 14 yards long in this
Townland. It consisted of a headstone and footstone " across the giant's knees."
(c) •* A half-demolished tumulus with two central cists." The roofing-stone of
one of these, as shown in CoL Wood-Martin's plan, adjoins that of the other ; the one
measuring 6 feet long by 3 feet 6 ins. broad ; the other 5 feet 4 ins. long by 3 feet broad.
The entire tumulus measures " about 60 paces in circumference, and there are traces
of an (outer) enclosure." In Col. Wood-Martin's account the cists are described as
the "upper dst" and the "lower cist" Both have been explored. The upper
cist contained a skeleton, from the position of which it was supposed that the body
had been buried in '^ a crouching posture, the back against one of the sides of the
chamber, and the skull and bones in a heap. Near these remains lay a thin piece
of bronze" — "perhaps," sa3rs Col. Wood-Martin, "the warrior's sword." Such was
the report of the explorer. " There must, however, have been more than one inter-
ment" Dr. £. MacDowel, to whom the basket-full of human bones taken up was
submitted, states that there were distinctly two burials, if not three, in this dst,
namely, those of two adults and a child The following is the list contained in the
report he drew up ; and upon which he justly formed his conclusions : —
" The posterior portion of the vertical part of the frontal bone, with a portion of
the parietal bone : intervening is a portion of the coronal suture very strongly
marked and deeply indented.
A lumbar and cervical vertebra.
Part of shafts of humerus and ulna.
Portions of four ribs.
A portion of pdvic bone.
A portion of ischium with acetabulum.
A portion of pubic bone,
A portion of the shaft of the femur.
Two very complete patellae, both right; one is distinctly smaller than the
other.
{a) The upper extremity (head) of a large right tibia.
{p) Head of a large left tibia, incomplete, with facet for articulation ; corresponds
to preceding.
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1 88 The Dolmens of Ireland.
(c) Head of right tibia (smaller size) ; probably corresponds to
(d) Head of left tiba.
(e) Head of tibia (left), smaller than any of the preceding ; probably that of
a child.
Various fragmentary portions of the shafts of the long bones."
In the same cist with these were discovered " fragments of pottery, evidently
representing portions of, at least, three several and distinct vessels. One is the
portion of a base," belonging, in all probability, to the same vessel to which
appertained a fragment of the upper part, ornamented with bands of dotted lines,
alternating with a diamond-shaped pattern. The pottery in this cist was of a light
drab colour on the outside, and red within. Two other decorated fragments are
figured.
The lower cist, which was more recentiy explored, disclosed, at the depth of 5 or
6 feet, under earth and stones, '' two interments, one at the upper comer ; the other
at the lower comer to the left" f The bones of these were also submitted to Dr.
MacDowel, who reported as follows —
" In this interment it is also evident, from an examination of the different os
calci and ulnae, that there are at least two burials. The interment contains —
A portion of pubic bone, with acetabulum.
A portion of os innomenatum.
Three vertebrae.
Various fragmentary portions of ribs.
Clavicle complete, but broken in equal halves.
Head of tibia, probably left auricular ; surface smooth and destroyed.
Lower end of right tibia.
Portion of shaft of tibia.
Oscalcis (right) complete.
Oscalcis (left), part of.
Oscalcis, much smaller than either of preceding.
Extemal cuneiform bone ; scaphoid bone.
A metatarsal bone.
Head of humerus, left.
Humerus, low end, right j articulates with
Ulna, upper end, right ; olecranon and coronoid process complete ; also radius,
upper end, right ; articulates with ulna.
Ulna, upper end, left, large size ; corresponds to right ulna (preceding).
Ulna, upper extremity, left, smaller size ; also various fragmentary portions of
the different long bones."
Several undecorated fragments of coarse red ware were found in this cist, with
regard to which Col. Wood-Martin states "that the fragments of coloured clay
dissolved, and came off freely when plunged in water." This pottery (unlike that
in the other cist) was red outside, and yellowish inside.
From the fragmentary state of both the fictilia and the skeletons, it was the
opinion of the explorers that the tomb had been previously opened and overhauled ;
a conclusion, however, to which, in face of the possibility that the bones may have
been broken before being placed in the cist, and that the pottery may have been
thrown in in shards, it is not necessary to assent In the dolmens and chambers
in Cornish tumuli I have on several occasions met with a like condition of things,
t By "upper" and "lower" cist, and corner of cist, Col. Wood-Martin signifies the positions
of these on the plan he appends.
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County of Sligo. 189
where there was no appearance of the tomb having been previously opened or
rifled.
The following observations of Dr. MacDowel upon the human remains as a
whole are of value ethnologically : " From the extreme lightness and appearance
of the bones, I would say they are of great age. The frontal bone in the interment
in the cist first noticed is abnormally thick, belongs to an adult, and would point
to a skull of medium size. From an examination of the other bones, I would say
their original owners were also of medium size, and, if anything, under that
standard"
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 182-185, and figs. 145-148.
15, 16. In the Townland of Moytirra East (or rather " South,"
it should be), called also Moytirra Conlainn, two Giants Graves
are so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35. One of these was
called Leachtran-fhir-more. The Townland is in the Parish of
Kilmactranny.
{a) Of these two monuments the Leacht-an-fhir-more is described in the Ord.
Survey Letters as measuring 10 yards in length, and 2 yards in breadth inside the
flags standing round it I am unable to identify it with certainty with any of those
on Col. Wood-Martin's list. It is clearly not the same as the one ip) next described.
So many of the monuments of this series have been destroyed, however, between
the year 1837, when the Ordnance Surveyors made their memoranda, and 1888,
when Col. Wood-Martin published his work, that this may well have been among
the number of those swept away.
{h) This monument measured 18 or 20 feet long and about 5 feet broad, and
had flags fixed around it " It was opened," says O'Conor, " some years ago," ue.
before 1837. " Human bones, of considerably large size, are stated to have been
found in it, and either in it, or near it, was also found what was described as a
golden breast-plate, formed so as to cover a man's breast, and be clasped behind his
neck." Doubtless, it was one of the broad lunula^ or minds, " Francis Byrne, of
Moytirra, who found it, sold it in Dublin to a jeweller for £\o^ as he said himself,
yet it has been ascertained he got only jQt^ for it" According to traditions
current when Col. Wood-Martin visited the place, this monument, in its original
state, must have been a facsimile of the long one, with four compartments and a
circle at either end, near the village of Highwood. It had been, however, entirely
demolished. An old native on the spot described the gold ornament '^ as having
been about the breadth of his two hands, semicircular in form, quite thin, and, no
matter how much it was bent, yet when the pressure was removed, it regained
its shape."
O.S.L., Co. of SUgo, ~- , p. 171, etseqq.; Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. i8i, 182.
F. 14
17. In the Townland of Treanmore, and Parish of Kilmac-
tranny, about a mile E.S.E. of the Moytirra-East monuments,
a Giant's Grave is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35. It was
locally called Lommineach.
No dimensions are given.
O.S.L., Co. of Sligo, ^ , p. 171, etseqq.
F . 14
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
1 8. In the Townland of Carricknagrip, and Parish of Kil-
mactranny, there is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35 a Giant's
Grave, and immediately above it (? in apposition) the Carrick-
nagrip Stone. It bore the name Cliopach Mor.
CoL Wood-Martin regards this as " a buried cromleac, for although its supports
are now covered by earth and the clearings of the field, there still remains a space
between the stone and the soil."
O.S.L., Co. of Sligo, — ?^ , p. 171, et seqq. ; R.S.M., p. 172.
F. 14
19. In the Townland of Cloghmine, and Parish of Kilmac-
tranny, a Giant's Grave is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 41.
"This structure lies E. and W. ' Seven stones remain erect; the slab at the E.
end is thrown down ; the one at the W. still erect. The slabs average 4 feet 6 ins.
in length, and about 3 feet 6 ins. in height over the soil The monument is oblong
in form; about 16 feet long, and 7 feet broad."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 169, 170.
20. 21. In the Townland of Carrickard, and Parish of Kil-
mactranny, are two Giants' Graves, not marked in Ord. Surv.
#
#
#
^ C=3C
. J I
#
%/,/,.,„_ 9==^,#
'''iiiliMiuiimiiimTO*'^
Fig. 178.— Carrickard. Plan in CoL Wood-Martrn's R,S,M,
Map 41. One of these is described as having been in the middle
of the site now occupied by the road which crosses the valley
marked May Tviri in the map.
(a) Col. Wood-Martin describes a " cyclopean grave of peculiar form, resembling
the letter T in this Townland. The extreme length is 32 feet, and the transverse
portion is 25 feet. It seems," he adds, " to have been enclosed by an irregularly
shaped oval, but whether wholly of earth or only partly so we could not determine."
(J>) A monument, which appears to have been oblong in form, but the slabs of
which are now in the fences on either side the road, was destroyed about the year
1817.
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 172.
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County of Sligo.
191
22, 23. In the Townland of Highwood, and Parish of Kil-
mactranny, are two Giant i Graves (one of triangular form),
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35.
'^iHiii,
(0) The shape of this monument CoL Wood-
Martin describes as "a tnincated triangley the
base measuring 34 feet, the perpendicular 37 feet,
the apex pointing nearly due W. Although only
four of the stones remain, the shape could be
distinctly traced.
{p) Of this monument CoL Wood-Martin
speaks as follows : '* The main tomb is 44 feet in
length, by 6 feet in breadth. The flags composing
it are of the usual character employed in the
district The end slab is 5 feet 6 ins. long, 2 feet 9 ins. high, and i foot thick.
Fig. 179.— Hi
Col Wood-K
;hwood. Plan in
fartin's R^Jif.
This shaft, as it may be termed, is now divided into two un-
equal spaces by a slab, which runs across at 9 feet from its
S. extremity.'' It shows traces, however, of having originally
been divided into four separate chambers, and in this state it
was found at the time of the Ordnance Survey. Each extremity
is terminated by a circle clearly traceable. After mapping
it, Col Wood-Martin was "informed by an old man, over
eighty years of age, that he had seen these circles perfect
about fifty years before, and that a skull and some bones had
been dug out of the grave."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., pp. 176 and 180.
24. In the Townland of Carricknahorna, and
Parish of Aghanagh, there was a dolmen near a
"Rocking Stone," in a valley called Carrickna-
horna, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 40.
It is described as "in the District of Doona-
veeragh," which latter is the name of the Town-
land adjoining Carricknahorna on the N.E. In
the Townland of Carrowkeel, N. of Carrickna-
horna, three Cams are marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 40.
" In one of the valleys {Le. the Valley of Carricknahorna)
in the district of Doonaveeragh," says the Kev. Constantine
Cosgrave, P.P., " stand a number of huge primeval monu-
ments. . . . The most prominent of these is one known as ' the
Rocking Stone,' which is massive beyond the generality of its
kind.
At a distance from it of about 9 feet is a cromleac of corre-
sponding proportions. The superincumbent slab is in the
usual sloping position, and possesses all the characteristics
o
CC?
o
(7
3
d?
u
^
Fig. 180.— Highwood.
Plan in Col. Wood-
Martin's R,S.M,
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192 The Dolmens of Ireland.
of the class of antiquities to which it belongs. There is an ancient circular fort
or cashel in the Townland called Caisiol Aluin.
O.S.L., Co. of Sligo, — ^ , p. 407 ; Proc. Kilk. Archaeol. Soc., vol. iii. (1854), p. 58 ; Wood-
F. 14
Martin, R.S.M., p. 207, note.
25. In the Townland of Whitehill, and Parish of Aghanagh,
is a Grave of the dolmen class, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 40. This Townland adjoins that of Doonaveeragh, to the
N.E. of the latter, and nearly reaches the W. margin of Lough
Arrow.
Col Wood-Martin mentions that " only one of the monuments " in the district
of Doonaveeragh ^ came under his notice, and that was an unimportant grave in
this Townland."
Wood-Martin, R.S.M., p. 207, note.
In the Barony of Coolavin.
♦i, ♦2. In the Townland of Doon, and Parish of Kilfree, two
megalithic monuments are each marked Clochmore in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 44.
*3. In the Townland of Kilfree, and Parish of Kilfree, ad-
joining that of Doon on the N.E., an Altar is so marked on
Ord. Surv. Map No. 44. Close to it is Tobernaneagh, and W. of
it, in the same Townland, is Clocknakilcoillagh, which latter name
is worth investigating.
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( 193 )
COUNTY OF LEITRIM.
In the Barony of Leitrim.
1. In the Townland of Greagh, and Parish of Fenagh, not a
quarter of a mile N. of Fenagh Lough (als. Lough Saloch), a
Giants Grave is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 29 on the left-
hand side of the road from Mohill to Fenagh, opposite the
enclosure marked Ancient Town, with Church, Cashel^ and Grave
Yard. It is between a quarter and half a mile S.W. of Fenagh,
and is called locally " Leaba Diarmuid is Grain6."
This is described by McParlan as ** a very large Druidical altar." I take it to
be the dolmen of which a drawing is given in Hennessey's "Book of Fenagh." This
shows that it consisted of a rough roofing-stone supported at one end by a high
pillar, and at the other end by a flag which had probably given way, and become
displaced from its original position. The sides of the chamber were formed by
slabs which did not reach the roof. Other large stones abutted on the structure.
" Stat. Survey of the County of Leitrim," by James McParlan, p. 93 ; " Book of Fenagh," edit.
Hennessey, frontispiece,
2. In the Townland of Fenagh-Beg, and Parish of Fenagh,
Fig. 181 . — Fenagh. Etched from a plate in Hennessey's * * Book of Fenagh, "
on the left-hand side of the road from Fenagh to Ballinamore,
VOL. I. o
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194 The Dolmens of Ireland.
a little more than a quarter of a mile from Fenagh, a Dermot and
Crania's Bed is marked in Ord. Surv, Map No. 25. In the same
Townland, a little to the S.W., a Monument is marked, and E. of
it two Cams and a Standing Stone. On the opposite, i.e. E. side
of the road, in the Townland of Knockmullin, are three Standing
Stones. In the Townland of Mullaghnameely, N. of these two
Townlands, is Saint Everan's Well ; and to the N.E., on the E.
of the road to Ballinamore, in the Townland of Longstones, are at
least three Standing Stones. This entire group of monuments,
including that at Greagh, lie within a mile and a half N. of Lough
Saloch.
There must have been several dolmens among this group of monuments, which
collectively were termed The Graves of the Giants. On one occasion the Rev. Mr.
Beresford opened these "graves," and stated to O'Donovan that he found nothing
but the bones of brute animals. This fact the latter regarded as very surprising,
as he thought he had discovered in them the graves of certain Fomorian kings who
had fled from the battle of Moytirra. "The question is," he writes, "could Mr.
Beresford have been mistaken? Did men ever erect graves over cows and horses?"
In the Ord. Survey Letters an extract is inserted, signed T. O'Reilly, to the
following effect: "In the year 1829, whilst I was passing some time at Fenagh, I
carefully opened one of these reputed 'graves.' They are oblong, uregular, square
spaces marked out by rough, flat, or flag stones on edge, and which only go down
into the earth a space of perhaps 18 to 20 inches. I found within that depth only
clay, and some (not many) bones. None that I found appeared to be human
bones. They were chiefly small bones, some certainly of sheep, and a few, perhaps,
those of cows and horses. I found no skull of any animal."
Speaking of these "graves," O'Donovan says that they bore a striking
resemblance to the grave of Calldn-Mor on Slieve GuUion. They do not appear to
have had any covering-stones, none, at all events, in place when the above notes
were written.
O.S.L., Counties of Cavan and Leitrim, ^^, p. 197 : for a supposed early legend about these
B. 16
monuments, see Book of Fenagh, edit. W. M. Hennessey (1875), PP- ^S^* ^59» "^^ 2^3-
3. In the Townland of Loughscur, adjoining on the N. that of
Letterfine, als. Letterfyan, and Parish of Kiltubbrid, just S. of
the lake, a Dermot and Cranids Bed is marked in the Ord. Surv.
Map No. 25, about four miles and a half W. of Fenagh. Half
a mile S.W. of this, in the Townland of Sheebeg, adjoining that
of Letterfyan on the E., is an object marked Fin McCooFs
Monument.
This ILeaba Diarmuid is GrainS is mentioned by McParlan. It is called *' a
cromlech by the lake" in the Ord. Surv. Letters. The name Oscar's Grave is a
modem and incorrect designation of it, arising from a false etymology.
" Stat. Survey of the County of Leitrim," by James McParlan, p. 93 ; Ord. Surv. Letters, Cavan
and Leitrim, ^ > , p. 221.
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County of Leitrim. 195
In the Barony of Carrigallen.
*i. In the Townland of Clooncorick, and Parish of Carrigallen,
a quarter of a mile N.W. of Clooncorick Castle, is a monument
marked Kin^s Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 30, and near it is
Kings Well.
This is described simply as "a grave."
O.S.L., Counties of Cavan and Leitrim, ^-^, p. 207, where a legend is told about it.
is. Id
In the Barony of Mohill.
I. In the Townland of Cloonfinnan, and Parish of Mohill,
near the N.W. margin of Cloonfinnan Lough, and between it and
the Eskin River, a Dermot and Crania's Bed, so marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 32. To the S. of this, in the Townland of
Aghintass, a Monument is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35
(ist edition).
N.B. — It is to be remarked that three out of the five monuments above
mentioned in the County of Leitrim are close to lakes.
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196 The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF ROSCOMMON.
In the Barony of Boyle.
1. In the Townland of Greaghnaglogh, and Parish of Kilro-
nan, 3 miles W. of Lough Allen, was a dolmen marked Druid's
Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 2.
2. In the Townland of Churchacres, and Parish of Kilronan,
near the Church, an Altar is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
Fig. i82.~Cburchacres. From a drawing signed " R, Armstrong.**
It is close to the N.E. margin of Lough Meelagh, but it is N.W.
of the Church, and not E. of it, as described on the drawing.
Near it, also, is Tober Lasatx.
From a drawing of this monument by R. Armstrong amongst a collection of
sketches of dolmens kindly lent me by Miss Margaret Stokes, it appears to be a
square cist, having a flag on edge on either side, and a third at the end, forming
three sides of a chamber roofed with an horizontal flag of no great thickness.
Some boulders have been placed upon the top of the covering-stone probably
for the same superstitious purpose of which we have evidence in the case of the
Cloch Breac at Inishmurray, and other venerated altars as well as natural rocks.
Collection of sketches in the possession of Miss M. Stokes.
3. In the Townland of Drumanone, and Parish of Boyle, about
2 miles W. of Boyle, to the N. of the spot where the Boyle River
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County of Roscommon.
197
broadens in its westward course towards Lough Gara, a Druid's
Altar is thus marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5. It is about half-
way between Boyle and
Lough Gara.
This monument is ''composed
of three uprights supporting a table-
stone in such an inclined position
that even a short man," says Grose,
''must stoop or bow, and involun-
tarily perform that act of adoration
before he can pass beneath it"
This position of the cap-stone is
simply due to the circumstance that
one of the supporters has partially succumbed inwards.
" Anc Architecture of Ireland," by G. Wilkinson, p. 49 ; Grose, in Irish Penny Magasiney
September 7th, 1833.
4. In the Townland of Tumna, and Parish of Tumna, close
Fig. 183. — Drumanone. From a sketch by
G. Wilkinson.
Fig. 184. — ^Tumna. From a drawing by Mr. W, F, IVakeman.
to the Church, which lies on a point of land projecting north-
wards into the western reach of
water, where the Shannon receives
the Boyle River, is SaiiU Etdins
Grave, so marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 7, a monument transitional be-
tween the dolmen and the later altar-
tomb.
This structure, which may be regarded as
of transitional type, is of oblong form, and like a grave in shape and size. The
Fig. 185.
-Tumna. Pian by Mr,
fVaheman,
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198
The Dolmens of Ireland.
sides and ends are formed by seven stones, the two side stones being long flags on
edge. The whole is roofed in by a flattish flag, upon which, as at Churchacres,
boulders are deposited.
In the Barony of Frenchpark.
*i. In the Townland of RunnaboU (Roinn-na-bpoU), and
Parish of Kilcolagh, is a monument called ** Saint Patrick's Bed/'
not marked on Ord. Surv. Maps 10 or 16, which contain this
Townland, which lies on the road from Boyle to Roscommon.
Penitential " stations " were performed here on Garland Sunday.
Near the '* Bed " was a lake called Lough Patrick, now dried up,
says O' Donovan.
It is uncertain whether this was a dolmen or not.
O.S.L., Roscommon, \J^t p. i88.
In the Barony of Athlone.
1. In the Townland of Fuerty, and Parish of Fuerty, not half
a mile N.E. of the Church, on the E. side of the road to Ballymoe,
a Dermot and Granids Bed is so marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 39. It is indicated by an oblong arrangement of stones, with
a large one within the enclosure near the S.W, end.
2. In the Townland of Scregg, and Parish of Killinvoy, about
Fig. i86. — Scregg. Etched jrom a photograph,
a mile and a half N. of Lough Funshinnagh, is a monument
marked Clochogle Stone, in Ord. Survey Map No. 42. It is
indicated by an oval stone enclosure in a rocky piece of ground
close to the E. side of a road. The adjoining Townland to the
W. is called Ballyglass, partly in which and partly in that of
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County of Roscommon.
199
Scregg IS the little lake Lough Collog. It is three or four miles
N.W. of Athlone.
This is a rough dolmen composed of three stones forming a square cist, open
on one side, supporting a rugged roofing-stone, flattish on the under face.
It has been described, with photographic illustrations, by the Hon. L. G. Dillon.
Fig. 187.— Scr^g. Etched from a photograph.
The monument, which is on the top of a hill, is surrounded by an enclosure of
large stones^ placed in straight lines, or nearly straight lines, on three sides, and a
slightly curved line of rather small and irregular stones on the S. W. side. This side
measures 43 yards long, and is represented in Mr. Dillon's photograph (Fig. 188),
Fig. 188. — Scregg. Another view^ etched from a photograph,
which reminds us unmistakably of the rectangular enclosures around dolmens not
unusual in Scandinavia, Denmark, and Germany.
The N.W. boundary line measures 33 yards in length. It is composed of large
stones, and is represented in Mr. Dillon's second photograph (Fig. 187).
The S.S.W. side of the enclosure measures 24 yards long. A wall has been
built in modem times on the line of the large stones which composed it
The S.E. side measures 35 yards, and shows the remains of a line of stones
surmounted at the S. end by a wall for about 10 yards of its length.
The angles formed by these lines of stones are all dififerent, that facing S. being
nearly a right angle. The top of the hill, which rises within these enclosing lines,
has the appearance of being in part a cairn, or artificially formed tumulus. The
district around is, however, very stony, so that Mr. Dillon found it difficult to
separate what appeared to be artificial from what might have been natural to the
spot. On the highest part of the elevation, but by no means in the centre of the
enclosure, its position being only about 10 yards from the S.W. angle, stands the
fine and perfect dolmen. The upper stone rests horizontally on three others on
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200 The Dolmens of Ireland.
the N., K, and W« sides. On the S. side is a small stone which does not occupy
the entire width, and does not reach to the covering-stone, thus leaving a passage
into the chamber.
The extreme length of the covering-stone is 9 feet, its extreme width 6 feet
10 ins., and its extreme thickness 2 feet 10 ins. The under surface is flat The
height inside the chamber is about 5 feet, and the length 4 feet.
About 9 yards S. of this dolmen are remains which appear to be the ruins of
another. The largest flat stone measures 6 feet 9 ins. broad, by 7 feet 2 ins. long.
It is lying as if fallen from its supports.
Jonm. R.H.A.A. of Ireland (1883-84), 4tb Sen, voL vL, p. 19, with pUites.
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( 20I )
III. PROVINCE OF ULSTER.
COUNTY OF CAVAN.
In the Barony of Tullyhaw.
I, 2, 3. In the Townland of Burren, and Parish of KiUinagh,
are three dolmens, two marked Giants' Graves, and one marked
Druidical Altar, in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.* Close to the eastern
of the two Giants' Graves, the Giants Leap is marked.
My attention was called to these dolmens by Mr. Wakeman's excellent little
work, a "Guide to Lough Erne." The first one I visited, which I will call]No. i,
4
CD
o
Ci
^ ^ ^ P)F^^
ZED CiDCUDQ
Fig. 189.— Burren (No. i).— /%wi by the Author. Scale \ inch = i foot.
is the westernmost of the three, and is placed on the brow of the hill looking down
on the little farm-place of Burren, in the garden of which is No. 2, and across to
the opposite rocky hilltop upon which is the magnificent example which I designate
No. 3.
Twenty-four paces W.S.W. of Na i is a ruined cairn about 24 feet in diameter,
and circular, the ring being surrounded by stones on edge, one of them 4 feet 6 ins.
high, inclining towards the centre, which is filled with small stones.
The dolmen itself lies due £. and W., but is in a very ruinous condition. A
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202 The Dolmens of Ireland.
sort of low oval platform surrounds it, and several stones upright or fallen which
appear on the edge of this may represent the position of an outer ring. Three
roofing-stones, one of them broken in two^ lie approximately in their original
positions. Of these the westernmost (A) measures 7 feet by 4 feet 9 ins., and
14 ins. thick; its N. end rests on and overlaps two of the side-stones, while its S.
end has fallen, together with two side-stones, which now lie partially beneath it 3 the
middle and broken one (B) measured 9 feet by 5 feet 9 ins. at broadest, but the
fragments have fallen into the vault, their ends still resting against the side-stones ;
the third and eastern one (C) measures 9 feet 6 ins. long by 5 feet 3 ins. broad, and
rests on two side-stones 8 feet 9 ins. apart I doubt, however, whether it is in its
original positioa The three slabs are respectively 14, 14, and 18 inches thicL
The entire length of the vault is 29 feet, the W. end 5 feet wide, and it narrows
to 4 feet 3 ins. towards the £. end, where, however, it widens again, owing, I think,
to the displacement of a stone on the S. The line forming the N. side consists of
eight stones, to which should be added three others lying outside them, one of
which has clearly belonged to the line. The S. side also consists of nine stones, one
of which, at the K end, has been thrown back out of place. A long flag terminates
the K end, and another lies against the S. wall of the W. end, which is open. The
blocks which are granite, measure —
Length.
Heifi[ht.
Thickness.
ft.
ios.
ft. ins.
ft. *
ins.
D = S
5
3
10
E = 3
3
2
2
F = 4
I 6
I
3
G = 3
5
I 6
I
10
H = I
9
2 4
I
XI
L = 2
2
6 to 8 ins.
M = 3
3 (broad)
N = 5
9
I 5
I
0=2
3 8
5
P = 2
9
3
X
Q = 7
2 4
6 to 2 ft.
K = 2
7
3
2
S = 3
4
2 6
2
T = 2
2
3
3
U = 2
2
3 (broad)
2
V = 2
2
3 10 (broad)
6
W = 2
10
2
X = 3
2
10
Y = 5
I 6
8
Z = 7
8
(buried in the ground)
9
Na 2, the one marked JDruidicai Altar in the Ord. Surv. Map, lies in the
garden of the cottage at Burren, at a distance of about 600 yards due S. of No. i,
and in the valley, which is filled with natural rocks in most fantastic forms.
This dolmen, if the cap-stone was ever raised, as I suppose it was, upon the
summits of its supporters, must have been an unusually fine one. As it is, only
four stones remain, three uprights and the covering-slab, the latter in a sloping
position, having its S. edge fixed in the soil, and its N. edge resting partly upon the
upright A, and partly upon a wall built up upon the top of the stone B, which
perhaps was originally a supporter, or part of one, placed on its edge to serve the
purpose of the basement of the side of a calves' house, of which the slanting cap-
stone forms the roo£
This cap-stone (D) measures 16 feet on the slant from N. to S., by 13 feet 6 ins.
in greatest width. The pillar-stone A is 7 feet high, 7 feet 6 ins. long, and i foot
3 ins. thick. It extends 3 feet 3 ins. beyond the N. face of B, which has been set
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COUNTV OF CaVAN.
203
/■
\u
JB.
D\
against it at right angles. B measures 8 feet 6 ins. long, 3 feet wide (that is, '* high,"
for it is on edge), and 7 inches thick. At a distance of 2 feet 5 ins. from the S.W.
comer of A stands another pillar-stone, C,
6 feet 10 ins. high, 5 feet 9 ins. long, and
I foot 5 ins. thick. What the original plan
of the monument was it is difficult to say.
If B at one time was an upright supporter,
and if D rested on the three, the structure
would not have been dissimilar to that at
Ballymascanlan, in Louth. As it is, it
stands in a stone fence, and other stones
now built into the division walls of little
fields surrounding were probably once a
portion of the structure. This appears to
be the dolmen of which Mr. Wakeman
speaks as having its table-stone, one "end
of .which rests on the ground, supported
by four pillars about 7 feet high." If so,
it has undergone great alterations since he saw it.
About half a mile to the E.S.E. of No. i is the dolmen No. 3, of which Mr.
Wakeman has correctly stated that it covers the largest area, and is the most perfect
in Ireland.
Fig. 190.— Burren (No. 2). Plan by ihi
Author, Scale ) inch = i foot.
The monument, from out to out, measures about 47 feet long by 18 to 12 feet
•>c:x
1 ^ ^' - h.
Fig. 191.— Burren (No. 2). SAeUA by the Author,
wide. It consists (i) of a wedge-shaped vault or cell, diminishing in breadth
towards the E., and covered by three roofing-stones; (2) of a porch or ante-
chamber at the W. end, covered by two roofing-stones ; (3) of a peristyle narrow-
ing and nearing the enclosed structure towards the E. end, but broadening out
towards the W. end, which it probably surrounded
The dolmen occupies the summit of a rocky elevation opposite that on which
No. I is placed, and within sight of that monument as well as of No. 2 in the valley
below, and also of a dolmen cairn in the Townland of Legalough.
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204
The Dolmens of Ireland.
Upon the roofing-stone at the W. end are fully thirty cup-hollows, some of
them with concentric ridge-rings surrounding a hollow centre, like miniature forts
in stone. One of them measures 6 inches in extreme outer diameter, with a central
circular ridge much raised above the surface of the slab, measuring 3 inches in
diameter, the central cup being i^ inch deep. In spite of the temptation to r^;ard
^
}mff=Fl&-^<2i%-:--<^in.]
8
a
ORo^
Fig. 19a.— Burren (No. 3). I^an by the Author. Scale } inch = i foot
these firom their position as artificial, I am convinced they are natural, for I found
similar ones in the limestone rocks of the vaUey below in sifu. I believe, however,
that the stone was specially selected because it possessed them, and that they may
have served as receptacles for small ofierings.
The details and measurements are as follows : —
I. Roofing-Stones.
Lea^
Breftdth. Thickness.
ft.
UU.
ft. u».
ft. ins.
As=6
6(E. toW.)
5 6
» 3
B = 6
»i
7
I
c = s
»»
7 6
II
5 = 5
10
II
6 6
I 2
E = 3
6
II
5 6
I to I ft. 9
IL
Side and
Transvb&se Stones of Structure.
Length,
ft. In.
Height,
ft. in.
Thickness,
ft. in.
F = 4
2 6
I
S = *
3 (wide)
5
H = 3
6
2 6
I
10
J = 3
2 2
I
4
K = 3
7
2 6
2
L = 4
2 6
3
M = 3
2 6
I
6
N=4
2
3 I
2
= 7
3 4
I
8
I = *
2
2 10
3
iVs
6
6
3 7
3
2
7
S = 3
9
2 o|
wide) (flat : the end of R rests
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County of Cavan.
205
Length.
Height.
Thickness.
ft.
in.
ft.
m.
ft. "
in.
T = 4
4
3
3
I
2
U = 3
3
4
V = 5
3
9
6
W = 2
7
3
I
5
X = 4
I
3
7
Y=3
3
7
II
Z = 4
3
10
'
III
. Stones of Peristyle.
Length.
Heigh^
Thickness.
ft.
ms.
ft.
IDS.
ins.
a = 4
6
^ = 3
8
^ = 4
^=3
3
II
' = 3
6
2
2
4
/=2
^^=4
I
8
7
'* = 3
3
8 (wide)
10
*'=5
2
4
6 (wide)
9
>^ = 5
4
3
(wide)
9
/=3
4
2 (wide)
»i= I
6
3
(wide)
« = 4
2
4
10
^ = 3
6
2
(fallen)
/ = 4
3
(wide)
5
^ = 4
6
4
II
^- = 5
5
6 (wide)
j=5
3
(wide)
8
The length of the main wedge-shaped vault from R to F is 17 feet 6 ins. Its
breadth at the W. end 4 feet 9 ins., and at the E. end 3 feet 2 ins. Its height may
Fig. 193.— Burren (Dolmen No. 3). Skach by the Author^ the north side,
be judged from those of the side-stones, ranging from 2 feet 6 ins. at the K end to
3 feet 7 ins. at the W. As the floor was full of loose debris^ it may be in reality
somewhat higher. The antechamber measured 4 feet 2 ins. broad at the E. end,
and 7 feet 6 ins. in greatest length. Its plan seemed to have been disarranged by
the stone X, which crosses it diagonally.
The stone R, which is a sandstone slab, extremely smooth and well chosen, and
differing from all the others in the structure, presents a remarkable peculiarity. It
is not fixed in the ground like the rest, but rests, at the S. end on the flat stone S,
and at its N. end on other stones. Observing this, I pulled away the loose rubbish
at its base, and found in the centre a cavity or hollow in the form of a rude arch
scooped out either naturally or artificially in the edge of the stone. This affords
an aperture 2 feet wide, through which a slight body might crawl into the vault
beyond. A stone somewhat similarly placed on two others, occurs, as we have
seen, in the dolmen of Cartronplank, in the county of Sligo. At Gortakeeran in
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2o6 The Dolmens of Ireland.
the same county is a dolmen which resembles this Cavan example more closely
than any other. Mr. Wakeman very appositely compares the slab of sandstone
which divides the antechamber from the long vault to a bulkhead in a vessel
The peristyle is very similar to that around the Labbacallee near Fermoy, in
Cork, and the ship form was probably repeated here.t
Mr. Wakeman mentions a "chambered cairn" in this group, the vault of which
he describes as a " large oblong cist," and the whole as ** a perfect New Grange in
Fig. 194. — Barren (Dolmen Na 3). I'rom a sketch by Mr. WaJuman^ the south side,
miniature." Some boys had found in the chamber a vessel made of clay of the size
of a hand-basin, but much broken. He also alludes to a rocking-stone, to a
*' curious rock poised on another, with a small hand-stone between,'' to a number
of galidnsy or pillar-stones, and half a mile distant to the N.K to a sXont-cash^ or
cathair^ 102 feet in diameter, surrounded by a wall 9 feet thick, and having in the
centre a well-formed excavation in the rock, of an oblong form, 3 feet long, 2 feet
9 ins. broad, and 3 feet deep. The time I devoted to planning and sketching the
three dolmens prevented my visiting these.
Wakeman, " Guide to Lough Erne," p. 136 ; W.C.B. Note-book, 1895.
4. In the Town land of Legalough, which adjoins that of Burren
on the S.E., near the little lake of Legalough, and in the Parish
of Killinagh, a Druidical Altar and Fort are marked in Ord. Surv*
Map No. 4. The " Fort " is represented by two contiguous circles,
or cairns.
The three dolmens in the Townland of Burren, and this one
in Legalough, constitute the Black-Lion group, and are distant two
miles due S. of the bridge and hamlet of Black- Lion.
In the Barony of Tullygarvey.
I. In the Townland of Aghaway, and Parish of Larah, was a
dolmen marked Giants Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 21.
t This great dolmen resembles the Lubbenstein at Helmstadt in Eastphalia, figured by Conringh
(Conringias, "De Antiquissimo Helmstadii Statu," p. 25), and in which J. A. Schmid found ashes
and horse's bones. Another very similar monument is figured by Nunningh, and was situated in a
plain 'fuU of tumuli containing urns in Westphalia (Nunningb, '* Sepulchrale Westphalico-Mimigar-
dico-Gentile," plate vii.). The Hiinebedden of Mecklenburgh, Brandenburgh, and Drenthe are
all of the same class, but of these we shall treat at length in the comparative portion of this work.
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County of Cavan. 207
2. In the Townland of Knockatudor, adjoining that of Aghaway
on the S.W., and in the Parish of Larah, was a dolmen marked
Giants Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 21.
3, 4. In the Townland of Aghadrumgowna, als. Calf-Field,
and Parish of Larah, were two Giants' Graves, thus marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 2j. They were a quarter of a mile apart,
and lay S.E. of that at Knocatudor.
About 4 miles to the West of these dolmens, in the Townland
of Shanternon, a line of five stones marked Fin McCooFs Fingers,
are shown in Ord. Surv. Map No. 21, and near this monument
a Vitrified Fort,
5. In the Townland of Drumerkiller, and Parish of Kildrum-
sherdan, a Giant's Grave is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 22.
In the Barony of Clankee.
I. In the Townland of Drumsallagh, and Parish of Enniskeen,
is a monument marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35,
and indicated by a small sketch of a dolmen. The adjoining
Townland on the W. is named Corglass, and in it is a rath of
the same name.
In the Barony of Clanmahon.
1. In the Townland of Middletown, and Parish of Drum-
lumman, E. of White Lough, is a dolmen marked Druid's Altar
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 30.
2. In the Townland of Drumhawnagh, E. of that of Middle-
town, and Parish of Drumlumman, is a dolmen marked Druid's
Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 31.
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2oS The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF TYRONE.
In the Barony of Strabane Lower.
I. In the Townland of Evish, two miles and a half E. of
Strabane, and just N.W. of Evish Hill, in the Parish of Camus,
is a dolmen marked Grantors Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5.
*2. In the Townland of Meaghy, and Parish of Ardstraw,
is a site marked Giant's Den^ and situated beween two forts.
It is indicated by a long area, terminated by a stone at the S.E.
end, in Ord. Surv. Map No. 16.
*3. In the Townland of Glenknock, als. Clochogle, and Parish
of Ardstraw, a mile and a half N.E. of Newtown Stewart, is an
object marked Clochogle in Ord. Surv. Map No. 11.
*4. In the Townland of Cashty, and Parish of Ardstraw, two
miles and a half S.S.W. of Newton Stewart, is an object marked
Clochogle in Ord. Surv. Map No. 25.
In the Barony of Strabane Upper.
*i. In the Townland of Beltany,f and Parish of Cappagh, two
and a half miles S.E. of Newtown Stewart, is an object near the
River Strule, marked Clochogle in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35.
In the Barony of Omagh West.
I. In the Townland of Church town, half a mile N. of
Castlederg, and in the Parish of Urney, is a dolmen marked
Druid's Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 16. It is situated " 140
yards E. of the old Strabane road leading through Churchtown."
'' The principal cap-stone of this dolmen had been dislodged " prior to 1872,
^* and one of the supporting-stones carried away for building." A special interest
attaches to the monument from the fact that one of the supporting-stones bears
*^ on its upper edge a number of dots and scorings, having the appearance of an
inscription." Sir Samuel Ferguson, in whose paper on " Inscribed Dolmens in
t There is another Townland of the name of Bdtany in Tjnrone, and two of that name in
Donegal, including a Beltany mountain.
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County of Tyrone.
209
Ireland" there is a drawing of the structure, was of opinion that this "legend (if
such it be) must have occupied its present position on the upper surface of the
Fig. 195. — Churchtown (Castlederg). After a sketch by Sir Samuel Ferguson.
supporter before the cap-stone was placed upon it" He notices also a resemblance
between these markings and those on the dolmen at Lennan in the Co. of
Monaghan.
Journ. R.H.A.A.I., 4th Ser., vol. ii. (1872-73), p. 526.
ffllP
Fig. 196. — Churchtown (Castlederg). Etched from a drawing in Sir Samuel Ferguson^ s paper.
In the Barony of OxMagh East.
*i. In the Townland of Aghnagar, and Parish of Clogherny,
a mile and a half S. of Six-Mile-Cross, and the Cloghfin River,
is an object marked Clochogle in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44.
2. In the Townland of Doocrock, and Parish of Dromore,
is a dolmen marked Giants Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 49.
3. In the Townland of Glengeen, and Parish of Dromore,
about a mile N.W. of Carryglass, between which and it, to the
N., lies Crocknafarbrague, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 57.
In the Barony of Dungannon Middle.
I. In the Townland of Gortagammon, and Parish of Dona-
ghenry, two miles W.N.W. of Stewartstown, and about three
miles S.E. of Loughry, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
Maps Nos. 38 or 39. It is near TuUyhog. This monument is
described as being much dilapidated. The covering-stones had
VOL. I. p
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
been tilted off the upright ones, which were displaced. The
longer axis lay nearly E. and W. The stones composing the
monument were schist and whinstone.
See Joum. R.H.A.A.L (1872-73) p. 202, et seqg.
Li.
Fig. 197.— Loughry. From a sketch by Mr, Kinakan.
12
Scale of feet.
Fig. 198.— Loughry. Ground-plan from Ord. Survey Sketches in the Lib, R.I.A,
In the Barony of Dungannon Upper.
I. In Loughry Demesne, ** at Desert Great," and in the Parish
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County of Tyrone.
211
of Derryloran, a mile and a half S. of Cookstown, is a dolmen
marked Gian(s Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 38.
Mr. Kinahan describes the first of these two dolmens as "a rectangular
structure lying nearly E. and W., the W. end spanned by two covering-stones. The
enclosed portion is 25 feet in
length by about 7 feet in
width, and consists of thirteen
stones, eleven of which are
placed on edge, forming the
sides and one end, the two
others being placed horizon-
tally across them. The portion
covered by these two slabs is
more or less regular, and the
four supporting-stones which
form the W. end of the
chamber are of large dimen-
sions, while the £. end is more
irregularly built, and the stones
composing it smaller."
" An excavation was made
in the interior of this structure,
and two urns were discovered
Frtmi a
Fig. 199. — Urn found in Loughry dolmen.
drawing by Mr, Ilardman.
in it One of these is unusually symmetrical, and decorated with a heat and
uncommon pattern. It measures 4i inches high, and 5! inches in diameter
at the mouth. The other, which was not preserved, is said to have been half
the size. In the vicinity of this monument other sepulchral sites, have been
discovered" A little to. the W. of it, and on the same ridge on which it stands,
was a structure described by Mr. Kinahan as a kist-vam, which, on exploration,
was found to contain " a thick layer of bone," upon which stood " an urn, 4 inches
in diameter, with a rib round its centre, below and above which was cross-
work."
Another urn was found N.E. of the monument, and two flint arrow-heads near
the spot.
" From these facts," concludes Mr. Kinahan, " it would appear that the Loughry
* Giant's Grave ' was a centre for sepulchral rites during a period when incineration
was practised."
See Joum. of the R.H.A.A.I. (1872-73), pp. 202, 203; also a plan of the dolmen in ** Ord.
Sarv. Sketches," in Lib. R.I.A. : a drawing of the urn by Mr. Hardman accompanies Mr,
Kinahan's paper.
2, 3. In the Townland of Broughderg, and Parish of Lissan,
N. of the Owenkille River, are two dolmens not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 20.
There are two dolmens close together at this place. One is called '' Granna's
Bed," which has suggested the idea that the other may have been called ** Dermot's
Bed."
The roofing-stone of "Granna's Bed" measures 8 feet long, 4 feet 6 ins. broad,
and I foot thick. It is supported on five others, two on either side and one at
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
the end. One extremity was open, and the interior, as I have several times found
to be the case elsewhere, was filled with water.
Further down the hill was a rude cairn surrounded by a circle of stones.
Fig. 20I.— Broughderg. Man by Mr, H^aketnan.
Fig. 200. — Broughderg. From a sketch by Mr, Wakeman,
This is, I think, the one mentioned by Mr. Wakeman, as being situated 50
paces from " Granna's Bed," in which a large sepulchral urn containing a smaller
one was found. The smaller
vessel also contained bones much
decayed. They were enclosed
in a "kind of stone chamber,
consisting of a broad, flat stone
on the top, and a smaller flat
stone on the bottom, with a stone
standing at the side, about 6 feet
high, and 2 feet wide. About
3 feet of this latter stone was
above the surface, and 3 feet of
it below. • . . The material of
the little vessel is very fine day,
of a deep yellow-ochreish, or reddish shade, resembling," adds Mr. Wakeman,
"the finest terra-cotta ware." The large urn was rudely ornamented, and probably
measured about 10 inches in greatest diameter. A perfect cube of iron-pyrites was
also found in the cistf A fragment of a small perforated vessel was found in
ballast drawn from the same place.
Joam. R.H.A.A.L, 4th Ser., vol. v. p. 740.
4. In the Townland of Slaghtfreeden, and Parish of Lissan,
was a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 20 and 21.
In Map 21 Eagle Rock is given. This Townland of Slaghtfreeden
is bounded on the E. by Lough Fea, and the Blackwater River.
It lies about five miles N. of Cookstown, on the main road to the
North, so that I think this dolmen is one which has been noticed
as situated five miles from Cookstown on the road to Londonderry.
t Compare my " Noenia Comub.,** pp. 236, 237.
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County of Tyrone. 213
5. In the Townland of Dunnamore, and Parish of Kildress,
near a valley called Esker, on the S. side of the high-road, is a
dolmen called " Leaba Dhiarmada agus Grainne/' not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 28.
I have not been able to see this monument, and the description of it by the
Rev. Dr. Carter, in the Joum. of the Roy. Soc of Antiquaries of Ireland, is
puzzling. I venture to insert his account as it stands. '' The present measure-
ments, externally, are 36 feet from N. to S., and 18 feet from K to W. The
internal measurements are 34 feet from N. to S., 7 feet from side to side; the
stones of which the sides of the cavern are composed rise in one place about
5 feet from the floor, and are great single blocks of whinstone apparently collected
from the mountain sides, or the river, which is adjacent The roof is composed of
large flat stones, the weightiest about 2 tons ; others averaging i ton each. These
have been obtained from various quarters; the heaviest is of hard slate rock;
another is of limestone ; and above the whole is a slight covering of earth and sod.
It is probable, as a tradition of the locality reports, that the cavern was originally
of great dimensions, as several blocks of stone, upright and horizontal, lie adjacent,
and plainly correspond with the existing remains, and the neighbouring fences are
composed of rocks evidently abstracted from the original work.
On the western side appear foundations of a smaller chamber at right angles
to the main cavern, leading in the direction of an immense monolith, about 20 or
30 tons weight, which seems either volcanic or fused by some action of fire. It
may be an aerolite, and is wholly different from any rock strata in the vicinity.
The site of the cavern was raised artificially, and slopes toward the S. and
the river, which is distant about 500 yards. There are no inscriptions on the
stones.
It is open to conjecture whether in pagan times the monolith may not have
been a sacred object, and supposed to possess oracular powers, towards which use
the main cavern and its smaller chamber might contribute ; instances of such use
are not uncommon. The cavern does not appear to have been the cist of a
superincumbent cairn; several such cists are preserved in this district, although
the stones formerly piled above them have been wholly, or partially, removed.
At Belleninagh, Broughderg, Ballybreest, and Ballnagelly, are instances of the
preservation of the (supposed) actual graves, while the cairns of great height and
diameter have disappeared."
Journ. R.S.A.I., vol. iv. pp. 286, 287.
In the Barony of Clogher.
I. In the Townland of Carryglass, and Parish of Etonacavey,
is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 57. This is the
one which Mr. Wakeman describes as on the Bar of Fintona.
The Townland of Crocknafarbrague adjoins this on the N.
Since Mr. Wakeman wrote an account of this monument it has evidently
suffered considerably. '* It measured," he says, " 33 feet long, by 3 feet 3 ins,
wide ; . . . a portion of the E. end seemed to have been partitioned off." It was
"evidently enclosed by a set of flagstones set on end, and forming an irregular
oval. One of the stones had its face tooled all over, and a groove cut in it«
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
The chamber was floored, and contained nothing. Close to it were two caims
perfectly preserved, one of which contained a large central chamber."
Of these caims I saw no trace, but 12 feet to the S. lay seven large stones,
08
80
nJ
^::-^^ClDc:?=)0cz:^CZ)
m® CD
CZi
^
Fig. 202.~Carryglass. Ground-pian by the Author, Scale \ inch = i foot.
three of which might have served as covering-stones either to the existing
structure, or to the vault in a cairn removed. From K to W., which is the
longer axis, the ruins of the dolmen
cover a distance of 40 feet From N.
to S. the greatest breadth is 14 feet 6 ins.
What Mr. Wakeman regarded as a par-
tition near the £. end appears to me the
termination of one monument and the
commencement of another. Of the grooved
stone which is now in the vaults of the
Royal Irish Academy's Museum, I am
enabled to give a sketch with which Mr.
Wakeman has kindly furnished me, and
which has not been previously published.
It may be compared to a stone near the
entrance of the vault in the tumulus at
Killeen Cormaic, in the Co. of Klildare.
This dolmen was evidently of the usual
wedge shape, increasing in width towards
the W., where it was probably 4 feet
6 ins. wide, from the narrow E. end,
which measured about 2 feet 3 ins., and
was closed by a terminal stone. No cap-
stone remained in place, but five stones
(A, B, C, D, £), from their size and
position, may have served that purpose.
The peristyle, some eight or nine stones
of which remained, seemed to have fol-
lowed, as usual, the parallels o^ the sides of the structure, and to have been
extended at the E. end, so as to enclose a supplementary monument. The
following are the dimensions of the stones : —
*;^^
Fig. 203. — Grooved stone. From Carryglass
dolmen.
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County of Tyrone.
215
Lenph.
ft.
ins.
A = 6
B = 4
8
C = 5
D = 4
10
E = 4
4
F = 4
G = 2
4
H = 2
8
1 = 1
2
K = i
2
L=i
10
M = I
4
N = 2
2
= 2
10
P = 2
3
Q = 3
R = 3
5
S = 2
6
T = 2
2
U = i
4
V = 2
9
W = 2
6
X = 2
3
Y=i
3
Z=2
9
« = 3
6
d = l
^ = 3
^=3
5
^=1
/=i
8
ill
1 = 3
4
i = 2
/=i
2
w = I
6
« = 2
9
<> = 3
2
/=2
ft.
5
3
3
3
3
2
I
I
I
I
2
2
3
2
I
2
I
2
I
I
2
I
I
I
3
2
I
2
2
I
2
2
o
2
I
o
I
3
I
I
6 wide
8 ,.
3 >*
3 >»
o »
ohigh
7 .,
6 „
4 >,
o „
9 M
o „
8 »
3 wide
4 „
9high
6 wide
2 high
10 „
o wide
10 high
2 „
3 M
6 ,.
o „
o wide
2 high
a »
o wide
ohigh
o „
8 ..
t:
9 »
o 1.
2 ,,
o ,,
Thickness,
ft. ins.
I 6
I
I
I
O
2
I
I
I
I
O
I
o
X
I
I
o
o
I
o
I
o
o
o
o
8
o
6
8
4
6
2
2
2
10
o
5
o
2
9 (faUen)
10
4
8
I*
I o
o 9
o
I
o
I
o
o
I
o
o
o
9
6
5
I
6
4
2
8
9
10
2. In the Townland of Knockmany, and Parish of Clogher,
Z'&B^^^^
Fig. 204. — KDOckmany. From a sketch by Mr, Wakeman,
is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 59. It is called
AynicCs Cove.
The Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy contain a paper by the Rev.
G. Sidney Smith on some characters on stones on the top of Knockmany Hill.
He thus describes the place : —
'' Besides two moats, one internal to the other, there is an ancient chamber
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
consisting of upright flagstones about 6 feet high. It includes a space 14 feet long,
by 7 feet wide." Its position, with respect to the moats, is represented in a plan
.**'""""""""""•///.,
\
'"*.
\
SJ
\.
:.^mmni,ny^
/
'"%.
\
/
s
»
s
#
% 3
i I
$
\
V
•
I
V
f ^^
Fig. 205. — Knockmany, mounds and dolmen.
Plan by the Rev, Sydney Smith,
\ '1^ ■-/-^,-^- - ^-
Fig. 207.— Sculptured stone in dolmen
at Knockmany. From a drawing by Mr,
JVakeman,
Fig. 206. — Sculptured stone in
doknen at Knockmany. Frot/i a
drawing by Mr, Wakeman,
which accompanies this paper. The stones
marked in a darker shade were in his time
standing, while those in dotted lines had
been thrown down. •* On five of the stones,"
he adds, '' characters are found"
An account of thb same monument is
given by Mr. Wakeman in the Journal of the
Roy. Hist and Archseol. Assoc, of Ireland.
He terms it a monument of the "Giant's
Grave class." " A mound, or mur of earth,"
he says, " 63 paces in circumference, crowns
the summit of the hill, and, surrounding the
chamber, gives the latter the appearance of
being sunk in a hollow. This," he thinks,
''represents the remains of the tumulus
which once, it may be concluded, covered
the entire structure. The chamber, which
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County of Tyrone. 217
is in a dismantled condition, is oblong in shape, measuring 10 feet 3 ins. by 6 feet
6 ins.9 and having its greatest length from N.E. to S.W." As seen by him, it
consisted of thirteen ^'huge blocks of old red sandstone, the rock of the district,"
and apparently the favourite material, where it could be obtained, for megalithic
monuments of all classes, those on which sculpturings were to be traced especially.
The stones have the appearance of boulders. Three of them lay outside the area
of the chamber, and had seemingly formed the roof, no traces of which were
visible in place. Two of the side-stones present carvings of very peculiar kind.
^^ Another large stone," adds Mr. Wakeman, '^was also carved, but time and
vandalism have almost defaced the scorings." In addition to these three, he adds
that ** two other stones, fallen inwards, may also contain markings." These would
complete the five observed by Mr. Sidney Smith.
Proc. R.T.A., vol. ii. p. l8o ; Joum. R.H. A.AL, 4th Ser., vol. iv. (1876-78), p. 95.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF FERMANAGH.
In the Barony of Lurg.
I. In the Townland of Tawnydarragh, and Parish of Drum-
keeran, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord; Surv. Map
Fig. 208, — Tawnydarragh. From an original sketch in tlu collection of Miss M, Stokes,
No. I. It is close to the boundary of the County of Donegal.
" There stands," on this Townland, says Mr. Wakeman, " a huge dolmen, sur-
rounded by a fosse, and a stone circle close at hand." This must be the one in
Miss Stokes's collection of Drawings, the sketch of which I annex.
Joum. R.H.A.A.L, vol. for 1879-82, p. 544.
2. At Castle Archdall ; in the Townland of Rossmore (or in
Fig. 209. — Tumulus encircled by hillocks in the Deer Park, Castle Archdall.
From a sketch by Mr, WakemcM,
that of Ballymactaggart), and Parish of DerryvuUen, is a
chambered-tumulus, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. lo. The
tumulus is in the Deerpark.
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County of Fermanagh.
219
In several communications to antiquarian journals Mr. Wakeman has noticed
the group of prehistoric remains at this place, which lies on the eastern shore at the
entrance of the Upper Lough Erne. He considers that in " time-forgotten ages it
was the site of a great cemetery. We have here," he says, **nine mounds of
.:•
Fig. 2io.^Sculptarings in the chamber at Castle Archdall.
important dimensions, besides a considerable number of lesser tumuli, and at least
one stone circle. The face of the country adjoining on every side exhibits
many of the old haunts of primitive people; remains of their forts, dwellings,
sepulchral enclosures, and even their minor tombs.
u <■
=^
nN:^
Fig. 211. — Sculpturings in the chamber at Castle Archdall
'^ The chief mound in the Deerpark ... is composed of earth and stones, and
measures 118 paces in circumference. Its height is 8 or 10 feet, but it must
Fig. 212.— Sculpturings in the chamber at Castle Archdall.
originally have been considerably higher. Within the centre are the
turbed remains of a megalithic chamber. . . . The base of the
surrounded by a set of miniature mounds, nineteen in number, set
much dis-
tumulus is
at regular
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220 The Dolmens of Ireland.
intervals, and seeming to constitute a portion of the original plan. ... In these
little mounds, portions of human bones, and of others apparently belonging to cattle,
together with flint flakes, and quantities of wood charcoal occurred."
Two of the blocks which formed the central chamber in this large mound
presented carvings on their faces or edges. Of these Mr. Wakeman gives illus-
tratiohs. The first shows the work carved upon the internal face of the larger
stone. It appears to be intended to be a pictorial representetion of some scene in
which a horse is the central figure,
with some queer creature in
front, and probably what was
meant for a chariot behind The
figures are not unlike those at-
tempted to be portrayed on the
coinage of Britain. (Fig. 211.)
The second illustration is of
an isolated device on the same
stone, widely separated from the
other carvings.
The third, which is upon the
edge of the stone, consists of two
lozenge-shaped figures joined to-
F,G. «3.-Sculptuna,s^u^e «lge of a stone at ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^ ^^
centre of each a cup. They are
probably intended for human eyes, (Fig. 213.) "Upon the same edge of the
stone, towards the base, are some traces of concentric lines, which appear to have
enclosed a cup."
It is remarked that "when the monument was perfect, the carvings on the edges
of the stones must have been concealed from view by the stone or stones
immediately adjoining.**
The first illustration of the carvmgs on the second block consists of two spirals,
two cups, a double chevron, or lozenge-pattern, resembling a lazy-tongs when
extended, and a few anomalous strokes. (Fig. 212.)
The second " represents markings on the lower part of the stone. They consist
of the segment of a concentric circle, consisting of three lines enclosing a cup,
together with two other curved strokes." (Fig. 212.)
The third, an isolated carving on the shoulder of the stone, consists of eight
long strokes, some curved and one terminating in a cup. They resemble some
scorings on the dolmen of Lough Derg in Tyrone. (Fig. 210.)
The fourth is a very peculiar figure, described by Mr. Wakeman as " a rude
double spiral, the right hand member of which embraces an oval, within which is
a small cup," while ''the enclosure to the left is plain, excepting that it also
contains a cup." (Fig. 210.)
It is a somewhat singular circumstance that this figure bears an almost exact
resemblance to the ground-plan of one of the mounds at Tara (Temair) ; namely,
the conjoined earthwork within the great enclosure supposed to have been called
the Rath Riogh, or Cathair Crofinn.
The fifth illustration exhibits a combination of cups, six in number, five of
which are roughly arranged around a central one. (Fig. 210.)
Mr. Wakeman very naturally compares these sculptures to those found in the
chambers of Clover-Hill in Sligo, of Knockmany in Tyrone, of Dowth, Newgrange,
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County of Fermanagh. 221
and Loughcrew in Meath, and on the side-stones of the entrance to the Cloghin in
Glen Msdin in Donegal. Perhaps some of the sculpturings in naturs^ caves, such
as those at Nacloyduff in Sligo, may also be properly compared to thescf
Turning to other countries, we may certainly compare them to the sculpturings
on the cover of a stone cist at Camwath J (Scotland) ; to those on the cover of
another cist at Eston Nab in the Cleveland district of Yorkshire ; § and to those on
the cover of a third at Aspatria in Cumberland, in which iron objects occurred.||
Scandinavian examples of very similar work have been recorded in plenty, and,
prominent among them, those on the dolmen of Herrestup in Zeeland,^ and at
Krapperup in Scania. ft For examples from Brittany we have only to turn to the
stones in the Gavr Innis chamber, and those at Man^ Lud,tt or on the dolmens of
Fmisterre, instanced in the " Materiaux pour THistoire de THomme." §§ Some sculp-
turings on one of the stones in a wedge-shaped vault at Halld will be noticed
further on. With certain scorings found on dolmens of ruder type, as well as on
natural rocks in siiu^ I am not prepared to class those we are considering. The
forms and treatment recall more directly the works of the potters and bronze-casters
of the Hallstadt period, as evidenced in lums and weapons found throughout the
North of Europe. I refer especially to the face and scene urns of Germany,
which we can trace southward in Bohemia, Italy, the eastern Mediterranean and its
islands, and I see not why we should stop short of Assyria itself, whence the
influence of art in textile fabrics and metal work was transmitted to the ^Egean,
where it was reproduced in the ornamentation observable on the fictilia.||||
The circle iX. Castle Archdall consists of eight large flags. One of these,
measuring 5 feet high by 3 feet 6 ins. by 2 feet, has a basin or btUl&n in it, which has
been artificially scooped out at the bottom of a natural hollow in the stone. The
marks of the pick which formed it are distinctly visible in the red sandstone, which
is the natural material of the rock. Other instances of the connection of such
basins or buMns with megalithic remains, especially dolmens and circles, have been
previously referred to, and will be noticed in the sequel Near this circle is another
stone, also figured by Mr. Wakeman, having four circular excavations, each 8 or 9
inches in diameter, sunk in its sur^ice. These difiier from the ordinary bowl-
shaped cavities in their shallowness and flatness at the bottom.
See Jonm. R.H. A. A.I., vol. iii. (1874-75), p. 467 : also id. (1879-82), p. 541, et seqq.
In the Barony of Magheraboy.
I — 4. In the Townland of KiUy-Beg, and Parish of Inishmac-
saint, are " four or five dolmens," not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps
Nos. 8 and 13. This group is three miles N.E. of Garrison.
Mr. Wakeman notices " four or five * Giants' Graves/ all denuded of their
covering-stones, and a number of uninscribed 'dallans' near a pagan cemetery
m this Townland.''
Joiirn. R.H.A. A.I. (1874-75), p. 445, tt seqq,
t Proc. R.I. A., vol. X., 1866, p. 329, pi. xxvii.
X Anderson, •* Scotland in Pagan Times, Bronze Period," p. 88.
§ Ord's " History of Cleveland," p. no.
II " Archseologia," vol. x. pi. iv. p. 112.
1 " Ann. Nord. Aldk.," vol. vi. pi. x.
ft " Congrfe intemat. d* Anth. et d'Arch.," Stockholm, vol. i. p. 470.
it See Bertrand, Diet Archseol. in voce,
§§ 1881, p. 265.
nil See paper by Mr. H. B. Walters, F.S. A., on " Greek Vases," in Knowledge, April i, 1896.
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222 The Dolmens of Ireland.
5 — 9. In the Townland of Knockmore, and Parish of Devenish,
are five dolmens, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 14.
All these five dolmens were without roofs, which led Mr. Wakeman to form
the opinion that they never had any.
Joum. R.H.A.A.L (1874-75), p. 445, et seqq.
ID. In the Townland of Old Barr, and Parish of Devenish,
is a dolmen near Noon's Cave, als. Nun's Hole. The cave is
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 20, but not the dolmen.
This dolmen is described as unroofed, but with the sides perfect
Joum. R.H.A.A.I. (1874-75), p. 445, et seqq.
11. In the Townland of Garrison, and Parish of Devenish,
on the E. shore of Lough Melvin, is a dolmen not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 13, but mentioned to me by Mr. Wakeman.
12. "At Boho, adjoining Mr. Trimbles farm," was a dolmen
which Mr. Wakeman mentions as a "magnificent" one, ''denuded
of its covering-flags about the year 1856."
Joum. R.H.A.A.!. (1874-75), P« 445» ^t seqq.
Note. — Somewhere in this Barony (Magheraboy) must be (if it be not removed)
a large dohnen mentioned in the Dublin Penny Joumaly 1834-35, p. 237, as situated
on the road leading from Enniskillen to Ballyshannon. The engraving of it is not
worth reproducing. In the description there is said to be '' a low entrance at the
southern end, formed by an enormous block of stone supported by two others.
The roof seemed to have fallen in, as the inside was filled up with large stones
overgrown with brambles and underwood The sides were composed of immense
limestone flags, each side having been originally formed of one stone of such size
that it was used for a ball-court before reduced to its present dimensions " (il& in
1834). "It is remarkable," adds the writer, "that there is no limestone in the
immediate neighbourhood . . . The owner of the farm filled a lime-kiln with
stones broken from this flag.
The monument was called the " Giant's Grave," and a tumulus not far distant
was pointed out as the tomb of the " Armour-Bearer." This was opened, and an
earthen iu:n containing some ashes and bones " of enormous size " was found in it
" The lower jaw was quite perfect, and so large that it went with ease over the jaws
of the biggest-headed labourer present" [!]
In the Barony of Tirkennedy.
I, 2. In the Townland of Ballyreagh (S.W. of Lough Mul-
shane), and Parish of Derrybrusk, were two dolmens marked Giants
Graves (two placed near each other) in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17.
These must be the two dolmens mentioned by Mr. Wakeman as "at Lough
Mulshane." They are called Giants Graves and are "two fine specunens,"
unroofed about the year i834,
Joum. R.H.A.A.I. (1874-75), p.445» ^t seqq.
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County of Fermanagh.
223
3. In the Townland of Bally doolagh (W. of Ballydoolagh
LaHe), and Parish of Magheracross, is a Giants Graves^ so marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 22. Three quarters of a mile S. of it are
marked Foran Fin^ and a Druicts Circle, both in the adjoining
Townland of Lissan.
4, 5, 6. In the Townland of Coolbuck, adjoining Lough Scale
to the S.E., and in the Parish of Cleenish, Giants Graves
'^::^^.v-^'^'^;^^P-'
Fig. 214.— Elevation of " Giant's Grave " at Coolbuck. Original sketch by Mr, Wakeman,
(apparently two) are marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 23, in the S.
portion of the Townland ; and, nearer Lough Scale, Druids' Altar
and Gianfs Grave, by which latter I think a single monument is
Fig. 215.— Coolbuck, another view. From a sketch by the Author.
intended, which I planned and drew. Near it a Standing Stone
is also marked. The monuments are situated about a mile and
a quarter S. of Topped Mountain.
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224 The Dolmens of Ireland.
Mr. Wakeman speaks of the dolmen which I planned as '' a splendid Giant's
Grave, which, in 1874, was still partially closed in with great flags." It lies £. and
W., at a distance from Lough Scale, or Loughascaul, of about 300 yards to the
S. It is surrounded by, or, rather, it lies partly embedded in, a low but distinctly
defined oval bank of stones and earth about 40 feet long by 22 feet broadL The
vault measured internally 33 feet long, by 4 feet broad at the W. end, narrowing
to about 3 feet at the £. end. One roofing-stone alone was in place, measuring
'^^^,
^^^'<^.-,
'^'«^.
X
^
Dc::JDC£3ciDcz3 f::^€^
C5=3
rr^)
4
#
i*i^'
V^^
.^^«^^^^'
Fig. 216.— Coolbuck. Ground-plan by the Author, Scale \ inch = i foot.
6 feet broad, about 4 feet long, and some 18 inches to 2 feet thick. Another stone,
of diamond shape, measuring 7 feet by 6 feet, and 2 feet thick, lay beyond the W.
end, and was, perhaps, the covering-stone in that direction. The dimensions of the
other stones are as follows : —
Length.
Hei
^ht.
Thickness.
ft.
ins.
ft.
ins.
ft. ins.
A = 4
B = 4
2
I
C = 3
I
6
» 3
D = 3
I
6
I 2
G = 3
8
I
6
I
H = I
10
I
6 (wide)
4
I 1= 2
6
I
K = 3
8
2
4
9
L = 2
M = 1
2
7
N = 3
9
2
1
6
= 3
2
I 6
P = 3
2
4
Mr. Wakeman speaks of a little cairn nearly adjoining it, in which urns were
found. They were described as beautiful specimens, the only one remaining being
in the possession of Mr. J. G. V. Porter of Belleisle.
Journ. R.H.A.A.I., 4th Ser., vol. iii. p. 529, et seqq.
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County of Fermanagh.
225
7, 8. In the Townland of Cloghtogle, and Parish of Cleenish
(the Townland adjoining that of Coolbuck on the N.). At the W.
Fig. 217. — Clochtogle, showing cups now obliterated. From a skdch irf Mr, IVakentan,
end of it a DruicTs Altar is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 23,
and also a Giant's Grave, which I take to be that called the
Clochtogle.
Of this dolmen Mr. Wakeman says : •* It consists of a square cist, the side-
stones of which, three in number, support a covering-stone measuring 7 feet
4 ins. long, by 5 feet 5 ins. wide, and about 2 feet thick.
On the portion of this stone which forms the face, or lintel-
front, are four cup-markings arranged in line.** The
structure has, I feel sure, suffered considerable damage
since Mr. Wakeman saw it, and wrote the above. It lies in
a low place near a farmhouse^ and has been half filled up
and used as a pig-sty. The vault is now only 3 feet high
internally, but the fariper told xoe it was 3 feet deeper.
The roofing-stone measures 7 teet 6 ins. long, 6 feet
broad, and i foot 6 ins. thick, biit the front of the lintel,
where the cup-marks were, haa bew chipped off. The Fig. 218. — Clochtogle.
longer axis of the vault is S.S.W. and N.N.E. Two stones ^^^,"^; ^^'''' ^^ *^'
form the N.W. side, and one the S,W., and there is a
terminal slab at the N.N.E. end, where the vault measures 4 feet 6 ins. broad.
The two side-stones to the N.W. are each 3 feet long, and the opposite one 4 feet,
the end stone measuring about 6 feet long. My impression with respect to this
monument is that it is the inner and more megalithic remnant of a long structure
which has been destroyed since the date of the Ordnance Survey. On the surface
of the roofing-stone are three doubtfully artificial cups.
VOL. I. Q
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226
The Dolmens of Ireland.
In the Barony of Clanawley.
1. In the Townland of Moylehid, W. of Lough Nagor, and
Parish of Cleenish, is a dolmen marked Giants Grave in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 26. This is the dolmen Mr. Wakeman calls the
Belmore one. It was unroofed, but the sides are still perfect.
Journ. R.H.A.AJ. (1874-75), P* 445. ct seqq,
2, 3, 4. At Bennaglin, near Florence-court, were three dolmens
" much mixed." I find no such Townland, but N. of Florence-
court is a Townland bearing the significant name Cloonatumpher.
(Compare Kiltumper in Clare, and Tuamanirvore in Limerick.)
Journ. R.H.A.A.I. (1874-75), p. 445, et seqq,
5. In the Townland of Doohat, and Parish of Killesher, three
miles and a half S. of Florence-Court, is a horned cairn, with
megalithic chamber, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 37.
" The ground-plan of this cairn resembles a star-fish, with five rays projecting
from a centre in which is a
chamber. To the S. of this
chamber there is a semicircular
ridge of stones, constructed in
the same manner as the rays.
The latter are well-defined stony
ridges, averaging i6 or 17 feet in
breadth at their junction with
the cairn, from which they taper
off to distances of 60, 46, 42,
and 40 feet respectively. They
terminate very sharply, with one,
or two, or three stones. The
largest terminal stone — that which
finishes the north-western ray —
measures 3 feet 6 ins. by 2 feet
The main central chamber is
divided by stone partitions into
Ji^ three compartments, which ex-
tend north and south. From the
central division, which measures
8 feet by 4 feet (the northern
and southern compartments being
slightly smaller), a quadrangular
offset, about 3 feet square, and
formed of four stones, extends
in a westerly directioiL*' There
was no trace of covering-stones, and it seems to me most probable that, as
in the case of the chambers in the Caithness, Argyllshire, and Western (Scottish)
Islands tumuli, as well as in that of the Newbliss (Monaghan) and Newry
examples in Ireland, the roof must have been formed by comparatively small
Fig. 219. — Doohat cairn, ground-plan ; also two of the
small cists enlarged. From plans by Mr, Wakeman,
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County of Fermanagh. 227
stones in the manner of a beehive. The semicircular and ray-shaped features
in the structure of the cairn also recall the same peculiarities in the class of
chambered cairns just noticed. Excavations in the chamber itself produced
pieces of wood charcoal, burnt stones, very black unctuous clay, and here and
there some greyish matter, which may have been bone in the last stage of
decomposition. In various parts of the rays little cists are situated, some fifteen
in alL In four of these were found burnt earth and stones, unctuous clay,
charcoal, and small pieces of bone, some pretty hard, others in the last stages
of decay. All these little cists had probably been covered in by either a flat
stone, or a bee-hive roof. Plans of two of them are given. They are rudely
circular, composed of five or more stones of small size, which lined, as it were, the
mouth of the little pit, sunk about a foot or so into the natural surface. Not a
fragment of pottery was found. One cist, which is perfect, measures 2 feet 2 ins.
by 2 feet 3 ins., with a depth of about 2 feet The covering-stone, which in this
case was in place, measures 3 feet 6 ins. long, by 2 feet 5 ins. wide, and 10 inches
thick. This cist is close to the central chamber on the eastern side. Although
limestone abounds in the district, the mass of the cairn is composed of sandstone of
a particularly hard and enduring description.
See Journ. R.H.A.A.I., 4ih Ser., vol. v. p. 162. Paper by Mr. Wakeman.
In the Barony of Kxockninny.
1,2. In the Townland of Knockninny, and Parish of Kinawley,
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 23. There should be two
dolmens in this Townland. A neighbouring Townland is called
Sheehinny.
Mr. Wakeman notices two "Giants' Graves" at the place, the one "much
ruined," he says, "the other measuring 49 feet 6 ins. long, and 6 feet broad,"
which, in his opinion, had never been covered. He again adverts to these monu-
ments in his notes on a paper by Mr. Plunkett on Knockninny Cave, a natural
cavern in which flint implements and urns were found. He there compares them
with those at Blacklion (i.e. Burren) in Cavan. "The principal Knockninny
^Giant's Grave,*" he says, "extends, as nearly as possible, N.W. and S.E., and is
composed of about twenty-five sandstone slabs. There is no trace of any covering.
The interior is divided by stone partitions into three chambers, all of which were
found to contain portions of human skeletons largely mixed with bones of oxen,
sheep, and other mammals. The bones do not appear to have been subjected to the
action of fire, although some small pieces of charcoal were found with them. They
lay in utter disorder, and at various depths." "A second 'Giant's Grave,'" he
continues, " is situated at a considerable distance from this on the same mountain,
and has been greatly ruined."
See Jouni. R.H.A.A.I. (1874-75), p. 445» et seqq. ; also Proc R.I.A., 2nd Ser., "Pol. Lit.
and Antiqq.," vol. ii. p. 338 ; also id, vol. ii. p. 446.
In the Barony of Coole.
*i. In the Townland of Annaghmore Glebe, and Parish of
Drummully, on the E. of the road, S. of Wattle Bridge, is a
monument marked Druid's Temple in Ord. Surv. Map No. 43.
This seems to indicate the Stone Circle at this place, but there is
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228 The Dolmens of Ireland.
also a Giant's Grave of unusual dimensions, to judge by the
Fermanagh Times, quoted below. It is on the Woodford River.
" In the county of Fermanagh, on a hill over Wattle Bridge, there has been a
mighty heap of stones, the bases encircled with very large stones standing on end.
The heap has been removed to pave our ways and build that bridge. Under the
cairn there were some urns found in stone coffins, and I [Mr. Nevil] believe there
are some remaining. . . . The heap was so big, and the stones about it so large
and so many, that it cost great pains to bring it there." This was written in 17 12.
A writer in the Fermanagh Times (May 14, 1891) reports that the circle is still
there, although the cairn has been removed. He adds that the stones are of diorite
and unhewn, and that there is a standing-stone much larger than any of them on a
hill beyond Redhills in the County Cavan, composed of the same material, and
visible on a clear day from the hill at Wattle Bridge. Mr. Wakeman states that
this circle is the "very finest in Ireland, some of its stones being over 16 feet in
length."
The same writer in the Fermatia^h Tinus, who records the existence of the
circle mentioned by Mr. Nevil on the hill beyond Wattle Bridge, speaks of an
enormous Giant's Grave in the valley adjoining that place. He says it is formed
of similar stones to those in the circle, and that it measures no feet in length.
Letter from Francis Nevil to the Bishop of Clogher, dated from Belturbet 1712, and copied from
the Ireland Gazette into the Fermanagh Times for May 14, 1 89 1, in which also is a notice of the
** Giant's Grave." See also Mr. Wakeman's paper on •* Kock Markings, etc.," Journ. R.H.A. A.I.,
(1879-82), p. 538.
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( 229 )
COUNTY OF DONEGAL.
In the Barony of Inishowen East.
*i. In the Townland of Magheranaul, and Parish of Clon-
many, is an object marked Clochtogle in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
*2. In the Townland of Carrowreagh, als. Craignacally, and
Parish of Clonmany, another Clochtogle is marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 4. This Townland adjoins that of Magheranaul. Both
are on Doagh Isle in Trawbreaga Bay.
*3. In the Townland of Balleelaghan, and Parish of Cloncha,
is an object called Friars Cell in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
4. In the Townland of Carrowmore, and Parish of Culdaff,
half a mile N.E. of the church at Malin, on Trawbreaga Bay,
is a dolmen marked DruicCs Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
5, 6, 7. In the Townland of TuUynabratilly, and Parish of
Clonmany, is a dolmen marked Granids Bedy and on the boundary
line between that Townland and that of Rashenny, between a
quarter and half a mile to the N.E., are two others, marked
respectively McCoots Bed and Darby's Bed in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 10.
8. In the Townland of Carrowkeel, and Parish of Moville
Upper, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 30.
It is on the W. shore of Lough Foyle, two miles and a half E.
of the elevations marked Cloghglass and Crockglass.
This is perhaps the CromUach in Moville Upper, mentioned by Mr. W. J.
Doherty, who notices the existence of the remains of a Druidical Altar at Condum
Beg in this Parish, on the slope of the hill, so called, at an elevation of 380 feet,
and 1000 yards W. of Dun-Druing.
" Innis-Owen and Tirconnell,'' p. 26.
*9. In the Townland of Laraghirril, and Parish of Clonca, a
Druids Altar is marked in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 12. At this
place, S. of the Catholic Church of Bocan, on an eminence known
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230 The Dolmens of Ireland.
as Mass Hill, there is a circle which is perhaps indicated by
Druid's Altar, although a dolmen may also have been there.
10. In the Parish of Culdaff, *'near the coast, on slightly
raised ground, like a low mound," there was a dolmen, the
precise site of which I am unable to indicate.
I find a notice of this in Miss Stokes's MS. " Notes on Dolmens." The monu-
ment is described as "a Cromlech with avenue to the North"; the "avenue"
consisted of "five stones on the one side, and four on the other," " some of which
were huge blocks, 10 to 12 feet thick." It is stated that it was described by Mr.
R. Moore in 1873.
In the Barony of Inishowen West.
*i. In the Townlandof Ballyannan, and Parish of Desertegny,
an object called Clochtogle is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 19.
2. In the Townland of Kinnagoe, and Parish of Fahan Lower,
IS a dolmen marked Gianfs Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 29.
To the N.E. of it is a site marked Split Rock^ and a Cam. It
is about four miles N.E. of Buncrana.
This is, I think, the " Cromleach near Buncrana," mentioned by Mr. W. J.
Doherty.
" Innis-Owen and Tirconnell," p. 65.
*3. In the Townland of Gransha, and Parish of Fahan Lower,
is an object marked Giant's Den in Ord. Surv. Map No. 29. It
lies about a mile inland from the R. shore of Buncrana Bay in
Lough Swilly.
*4. In the Townland of Lisfannon, and Parish of Fahan
Upper, is an object marked Friars Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 38. It is close to a Fort^ or Zw, and is near the shore of
Lough Swilly, half a mile S.W. of the Giants Den in the Town-
land of Gransha.
In the Barony of Kilmacrenan.
I. In the Townland of Ballyboe, and Parish of Raymunter-
doney, is a dolmen marked Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 25.
*2. In the Parish of Raymunterdoney, near Dunfanaghy, was,
I was informed, Raymonamoney s (pron. thus) Grave. From a
description given me of it, I think it may be of the dolmen
class, but I am unable to indicate its exact position. I do not
find it marked in the Ord. Surv. Maps.
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County of Donegal. 231
I was informed by Mr. W. Doherty of Londonderry, author of " Innis-Owen and
Tirconnell," that numerous " Giants' Graves " existed S. of Dunfanaghy. Some of
them are included in the following list of dolmens in this Barony. The Ord.
Surveyors sometimes designated these pagan remains AHarSy although the tradition
which gave them that name is not, perhaps, older than that derived from the days of
the Mountain Masses. A pagan dolmen may, indeed, have served the purposes of
the Christian priest I was informed that Raymunterdone/s Grave belonged to the
class of pagan monuments, but I was unable to visit it
*3, *4. In the Townland of Kill, and Parish of Clondahorky,
a short distance S. of Dunfanaghy, is a monument marked Altar
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 15. To the W. of this, in a neighbouring
Townland, a site is marked Labba in small print, and indicated
by a peculiar figure resembling a circle with stones protruding
obliquely from the circumference.
5. In the Townland of Cranford, and Parish of Kilmacrenan,
is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 27,
near the W. coast of Mulroy Bay. About a mile to the S. is a
site marked Clochglass.
6. In the Townland of Gortnavern, and Parish of Tullyfern,
is a dolmen marked GranicCs Bedva Ord. Surv. Map No. 27.
This monument, called ''Dermot and Crania's Bed," measures 12 feet long by
5 feet broad. The two covering-flags measure in total length conjointly 12 feet,
and are 7 feet broad. They slope northwards. The front pillars are 7 feet high.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
7. In the Townland of Carrowreagh, and Parish of Clon-
davaddog, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 28.
" The luins of a structure called Dermot and Granids Bed'^
Kinaban, Journ. R.H.AA.I., vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
8. In the Townland of Creeveoughter (the Townland adjoin-
ing that of Carrowreagh on the S.), and Parish of Killygarvan,
is a dolmen marked Giant's Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 28.
About a mile to the N.N.W. of it is a Tober Patrick.
This structure is " double-chambered." The covering-stones have been removed
to build cabins.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
9. In the Townland of Drumhallagh Upper, and Parish of
Killygarvan, is a dolmen marked Giant's Bed, or Cromlech, in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 28. It lies about a mile S. of that at
Creeveoughter.
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232 The Dolmens of Ireland.
This monument is constructed of very large, well-shaped, massive quartzite flags.
Some of the surrounding upright flags still remain.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.L, vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
10. In the Townland of Oughterlin, and Parish of KiUygarvan,
is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 28, a little E.
of Gamaholowey Lough.
This is locally called "the Druid^s Altar." It consists of a large rough flag,
measuring 11 feet by 8 feet It is supported by four uprights about 3 feet high.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Sen, p. 278.
11, 12, 13. In the Townland of Barnes Lower, and Parish of
Kilmacrenan, there are " several " dolmens, and to the S. of them
is a holy well, an altar, and other remains, not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 35. They bear the name Carky's Graves.
These structures are " built with massive, squarish blocks."
Kinahan, Journ. R. II. A. A. I., vol. ix., 4th Sen, p. 278.
14. In the Townland of Goldrum, and Parish of Kilmacrenan,
adjoining the Townland of Barnes Lower to the S., is a dolmen
not marked in the Ord. Surv. Maps 35, 36, 44, 45, which
contain the Townland.
This structure lies S. of the ruins of a cashel; on the covering-stone of it,
according to Mr. Kinahan, are a number of cups.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Scr., p. 278.
15, 16. In the Townland of Cratlagh,and Parish of TuUyfern,
two dolmens, Grantas Bed and Altar^ are marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 36. The Grantas Bed is situated to the E. of Lough
Nacreaght The Altar is N. of Bunlin Bridge, a mile and a
quarter N.W. of Millford, on a reach of Mulroy Bay.
17. In the Townland of Claggan, and Parish of Tullyfern on
the N.E. shore of Columbkille Lough, a mile and a half E. of
Millford, a Giant's Grave is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 36.
Mr. Kinahan speaks of a Giants Grave thus indicated, he says,
in the map, in the adjoining Townland of Kilwarry, in which, on
the N. shore of Columbkille Lough is Columbkilles Chair^ a
natural rock so called. I think he means the Giants Grave in
Claggan, as there is not one marked in Kilwarry.
" This has been destroyed."
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
18, 19. In the Townland of Garrygort, and Parish of Tullyfern,
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County of Donegal. 233
on the S.E. slope of Crochmore are two structures of the dolmen
class, called locally Danes' Houses, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 36.
'^ The remains of two structures made of squarish slabs set on edge. ... By
the side of the doorway, on one of the stones, there is sculpturing of very rude
character."
Kinahan, Journ., R.H.A.A.L, vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
20. In the Townland of Loughnakey, and Parish of Tullyfern,
" alongside the lane S. of the village," is a dolmen not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 36.
" A rather perfect large structure, like a Giant's Grave, built of rude, squarish
blocks of stone on edge."
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
*2i. In the Townland of Glenalla, and Parish of Aughnish,
is a dolmen marked The Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 37.
22. In the Townland of Crevary Upper, and Parish of Killy-
garvan, marked Standing'Stones, or Giants Bed (in small type) in
Ord. Surv. No. 37. It lies E. of RathmuUan, and is called locally
" Dermot and Crania's Bed."
'' A structure of standing stones."
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.L, vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
23. In the Townland of Ballybuninabber, and Parish of Kilma-
crenan, is a dolmen marked Druids Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No 44. It lies two miles and a half N. W. of Labra Lork's Castle,
and about the same distance W.N.W. of Doon Rock and Doon
Well, near Kilmacrenan.
24. In the Townland of Gortnalaragh, and Parish of Kil-
macrenan, is a dolmen and a pillar-stone near it, not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 44.
" The remains of a one-chambered dolmen, or Giant's Grave, with a dalldn
near it"
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
25. In the Townland of Drumbrick, and Parish of Kilmacrenan,
is a dolmen called Dermot and Granids Bed, not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 44.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. ix., 4th Ser., p. 278.
*26. In the Townland of Kilmacrenan, and Parish of Kil-
macrenan, is a monument marked Altar in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 45.
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234 The Dolmens of Ireland.
27. In the Townland of Letter, and Parish of Kilmacrenan,
is a dolmen marked Labba Rocks in Ord. Surv. Map No. 45. • It
is called also Cloch-na-tara.
Of the megalithic stnicture at this place Mr. Kinahan says : '* An old tenant
stated that he remembered it when there were four cells roofed with flags, and when
the enclosing wall was nearly perfect. One of the displaced covering-stones has on
it cup-markings. Only some of the stonding-stones are still in situ. From the
remains of the S. wall of the enclosure which surrounded the structure, it would
appear that it consisted of upright stones, with intervening spaces filled in with
smaller ones. The N. wall is much effaced. It is possible that the W. portion was
parallel to the S. wall; but the whole structure," Mr. Kinahan adds, "was too
much dismantled to be spoken of with certainty."
To the S. of thb monument there was a standing stone.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.L, vol. v., 4lh Ser., p. 434.
28. In the Townland of Templedouglas, and Parish of Conwal,
an Altar is marked and indicated by a small sketch of a dolmen.
Close to it are marked a IVell, Abbey, and Graveyard, in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 52. It lies about two miles and a half
W.N.W. of Letterkenny, and to the S.E. of a Townland called
Carrickyscanlan.
29. In the Townland of Glencar Scotch, and Parish of Con-
wal, is a dolmen not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 53. N. of this Town-
" "1 land is that of Killyclug, or Killachlug,
and next to that the Townland of Eden-
carna, in which are the ancient sites
marked MarcagKs Knowe, and Mar-
Fig. 220.— Glencar Scotch. Front ^OgHs Stable,
a plan by Mr. Ktnahan.
This stnicture is " built with flags ; the entire length was 17 feet, the breadth
3 feet, and the height 4 feet 6 ins. At the end was a standing stone 4 feet high.
The side flags were 3 feet from the bottom of the chamber, the floor of which is
I foot below the level of the surface." This is one of those structures to which
Mr. Kinahan gives the naime /osieac.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.L, vol. vii., 4th Ser., p. 426.
30. In the Townland of Lisnanees Upper, and Parish of
Aghanunshin, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 53.
" A structure similar to those called cromkacs. It is to the N.E. of two Itiscas,
or artificial caves."
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. vii., 4th Ser., p. 426.
In the Barony of Rapiioe North.
1. In the Townland of Trimrath, and Parish of Leek, is a
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dolmen and a venerated rock, marked Gianfs Rock in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 53.
Mr. Kinahan calls these the Giant's Rock and Grave.
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. vii., 4th Ser., p. 425.
2. In the Townland of Errity, and Parish of Raymoghy, is a
dplmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 54. It is called
Giants Grave.
Mr. Kinahan states that this is marked in the Ord. Surv. Map. It had, how-
ever, been '* long since broken up and removed."
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. vii., 4th Ser., p. 426.
3. In the Townland of Mondooey Upper, and Parish of
Raymoghy, is a dolmen, called Giant's
Grave, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 62.
" The entire length of this monument is 17 feet,
and the breadth 8 feet It is composed of eight
stones, the respective dimensions of which are (see
plan) as follows : —
Fjg. 221. — Mondooey Upper.
From a plan by Mr, JCmahau,
Length,
ft. ins.
Height,
ft. ins.
Width,
ft. ins.
A = 7
6
I
B = 5
6
6
I
C=2
5
D = 8
E = 2
5
5
3
5
I
I
F = 4
G = 3
3
3
H = 3
2
9
2
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. vii., 4th Ser., p. 426.
4. In the Townland of Portlough, and Parish of All Saints,
is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 47.
It is two miles S.W. of the "Grianan of Aileach," and four or
five W. of Londonderry.
5. In the Townland of Roosky, and Parish of Raphoe, about
five miles S.W. of Raphoe, is a dolmen marked Druid's Altar in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 69. It is indicated by a plan of a long,
stony area, with a circular stone erection towards one extremity.
*6. In the Townland of Gortnagole (Mr. Kinahan's Gortna-
cull), and Parish of Clonleigh, is a dolmen marked Gianfs Grave
in rock in Ord. Surv. Map No. 70.
" A very perfect, but smzHX, fosleac'*
Kinahan, Journ. R.H.A.A.T., vol. vii., 4th Sen, p. 278.
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236 The Dolmens of Ireland.
In the Barony of Raphoe South.
1. In the Townland of Brockagh, and Parish of Kilteevogue,
E. of the Finn River, and near it is, a dolmen marked Altar in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 68.
2. In the Townland of Cloghanmore, and Parish of Kiltee-
vogue, is a dolmen marked Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 68,-
about one mile further up the Finn River from the Brockagh
one, and on the same side of it.
3. In the Townland of Kiltyfergal, and Parish of Kilteevoge,
is a dolmen marked Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 68, about a
mile and a half further up the Finn River from the Cloghanmore
one, and close to a stream on the same side as the other two.
In the Barony of Tirhugh.
I. In the Townland of Golard, and Parish of Drumhome, on
the boundary between that Townland and that of Moyne, is a
Giant's Grave^ so marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 100. It is close
to a Fort.
*2. In the Townland of Meenacarragh, als. Raneany Barr,
just N. of Lough Boyle, and in the Parish of Drumhome, is a site
marked Fin McCooVs Pan in Ord. Surv. Map No. 100, and
indicated by a wedge-shaped figure narrowing towards the S.E.
It is three miles E. of the Golard Giant s Grave, and is halfway
in a straight line between Lough Derg and Donegal.
3. In the Townland of Cool More, and Parish of Kilbarron,
on the coast of the Bay of Donegal, N.W. of Kildoney Point, is a
dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 103.
Mr. Wakeman mentions the existence of ''a grand perfect example of a Giant's
Grave here, retaining its roof."
Wakeman, Journ. R.H.A.A.I., vol. iiL, 4th Ser., p. 529.
4, 5, 6. In the Townland of Magheracar, and Parish of Inish-
macsaint, one mile from Bundoran, on the sea-coast, close to the
boundary of Leitrim, which is here the Drowes River, is a dolmen,
and due E. of it two others, neither of them marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 106.
Col. Wood-Martin remarks that in the immediate vicinity of Bundoran are a few
megalithic remains, in which he notices a striking resemblance to those in the
County of Sligo.
The first he describes is a dolmen-circle on the very edge of the cliff. The
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circle " would seem to have measured originally 70 feet in diameter, but, as shown
in the plan, nearly half of it has disappeared over cliff. Twenty-two stones still
remain. They are boulders, and only just show above the surface of the soil
The dolmen, or cist, is an elongated one, which probably once extended to the edge
of the circle, but on the E. side. The longer axis is N.N.W. and S.S.E. It had
been divided into septa^ two stones forming the barriers between them being visible
above ground. The inner or N.N.W. end of the structure is wedge-shaped,
terminating in an acute angle. Eight stones remain on the N.E. side, and four
on the opposite side. Bones, ashes, and a cinerary urn were found in this tomb."
Due E. of the last were the ** vestiges of another megalith." Not enough
remained to enable a correct idea to be formed as to the original ground-plan.
The monument, it appeared, occupied a somewhat rectangular area — about 2 1 feet
long by 9 feet broad. Ten stones were in position, five on one side, two on the
other, and three at one end.
There must have been a second monument near this, for Mr. Wakeman notices
three Giants' Graves on the coast at Bundoran "much ruined."
Fig. 222.— Cairn at Finner. Original sketch by Mr. Wakenian,
Fig. 223.— Finner (No. I.). Orisinal sketch by Mr, Wakeman,
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238 The Dolmens of Ireland.
CoL Vigors kindly showed me a sketch of one of the above monuments, an
uncovered, lengthy structure, probably the second mentioned by Col. Wood-Martin.
Wood-Martin, "Rude Stone Monuments of Ireland," pp. 158, 160; Wakeman, Journ.
R.H.A.A.I., vol. iii., 4th Ser., p. 529, et seqq,
7 — II. In the Townland of Finner, and Parish of Inish-
macsaint, are five dolmens, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 107.
Mr. Wakeman has kindly sent me three sketches, which are
here annexed, two representing dolmens, and the third a cairn
containing a dolmen-chamber.
The circumference of the caim is 1 13 paces, and the chamber 9 feet long by
6 feet 5 ins. broad. The dolmen marked No. I. is in the form of an irregular
triangle internally, measuring about 8 feet by 5, the tallest stone being 5 feet 7 ins.
high. The dolmen marked No. II. is near the caim. It measures 16 feet long by
Fig. 224. — Finner (No. 11.), near the great caim. Origitial sketch by Mr, Wakeman,
7 feet broad. Eleven stones are still standing; two on the N. side seemed to have
formed part of an enclosing circle. The chamber lies E. and W.
On this Townland the remains of a dolmen-cairn, with exposed cist and circle
of upright stones, are noticed by Col. Wood-Martin. The cairn was overhauled,
and the covering-stone of the cist destroyed. The cist was found "to contain a
large quantity of human bones, amongst which were several skulls in fine preserva-
tion." They were broken to pieces. Many of the bones were scorched by fire,
and pieces of charcoal were found among the stones and in the soil.
At a short distance from this caira, the workmen had broken into a "grave,'*
which was found to contain human ashes, calcined bones, charcoal, and a fine
cinerary urn, some fragments of which were preserved. Near this there are traces
of two circles of stones, and about fifty paces distant there was a dolmen described
as a " rude cist,** 14 feet 6 ins. long by 6 feet broad.
Wood- Martin, " Rude Stone Monuments of Ireland," p. 160.
In the Baronv of Boylagh.
1. In the Island of Owey, and Parish of Templecrone, was
a dolmen, now destroyed, and not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 40. It was called locally *' Giant's Grave," and " Dermot
and Grany's Bed."
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County of Donegal.
239
On this island a long area of sloping turf under the peak of the rocky eminence
which forms its seaward extremity, was pointed out to me as having been, within
the memory of man, the site of a " Giant's Grave.** Two stones sunk in the ground
are said to mark its extremities. They are about thirty feet apart.
On the summit of a rocky natural cam above this spot is a small cavity or cist,
called *• Dermot and Grany's Bed." I have doubts, however, whether it is not
naturally formed. — W. C. B., Note-book, 1892.
2. In the Townland of Crocam, and Parish of Inishkeel, is a
dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 66. It lies
between Lough Finn and Lough Muck, three miles and a half
N.E. of Glenties.
3, 4. In the Townland of Kilcloony More, and Parish of
Inishkeel, is a dolmen marked Dermot and Granids Bed in
Fig. 225.— Kilcloony. Etched from a photograph by Mr, Spence.
Ord. Surv. Map No. 73. There is a second and smaller dolmen
near it, which is not marked in the map.
The larger of the two dolmens at this place is a fine example. The covering-
stone measures 20 feet long by 13 feet broad, and in places is over 3 feet thick.
It slopes towards the W., resting at that end on the slab which forms the terminal
stone of the chamber beneath it This terminal stone is a red-coloured granite
slab. At the E. end the covering-stone is supported by two pillar-stones, each
6 feet high, forming the jambs of the entrance into the chamber. They are set
2 feet apart, and a low stone crossing the threshold forms a line of demarcation
between the portico and the chamber itself.
I think it beyond doubt that a covered passage led to the structure from the E.
side. Looked at from the E., the dolmen resembles a great narrow gateway with
a huge mushroom-like top. I noticed two indentations, possibly cups, on the
upper surface of the covering-stone near its E. end.
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240
The Dolmens of Ireland.
Partially covered by a flat stone in the circle of stones which surrounds this
monument was a spring of clear water at a distance of a few yards E. of the two
pillar-stones. The chamber under the roofing-stone measures 6 feet long by 4 feet
6 ins. wide. Each side is formed by a single flag which extends the entire length
of the enclosed space. At the W, end, in addition to the red terminal pillar-stone,
there is a second and supplementary one. The covering-stone, however, rests only
on the three stones above mentioned.
The area within the circle surrounding this dolmen contains numerous small
Fig. 226.— Kilcloony (another view). Etched from a photograph by Mr. Spence,
Stones, the remains, possibly, of a cairn of stones thrown together around the
structure, and bounded by the enclosing circle.
I am indebted to Mr. C. F. Spence, of North Shields, for the photographs from
which the etchings of this dolmen are made.
A second but much smaller dolmen lies at a distance of a few yards from the
larger one, on the W. side. In point of construction it is a model of the other on
a small scale. A single slab forms either side of the cist ; two pillar-stones stand as
jambs to the entrance at the E. end, and a low stone is placed transversely across
the passage to the interior. — ^W. C. B., Note-book, 1892.
In the Barony of Banagh.
I, 2. In the Townland of Cashel, and Parish of Glencolumb-
kille, in Glenmalin, on the left-hand side of the road from Carrick
to Malin More, and on the S. W. side of a stream, is the monument
called the Clochmore, or Cloghan, or Cloghanmore, a collection
of megalithic structures of the dolmen class surrounded by a mass
of stones. It is marked Cashel in Ord. Surv. Map No. 90, and
gives its name to trfie Townland. It lies between the Loughs
Unna and Unshagh.
In the same Townland, on the opposite side of the road, are
the remains of a dolmen, and near it a menhir.
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County of Donegal.
241
This is a very remarkable structure, which may be classified with two others,
namely, those at Magheraghanrush in the county of Sligo, and Ballyglass in the
county of Mayo, from both of which, however, it differs in respect of having been
apparently entombed in a vast pile of stones. In its present condition of restora-
tion (!) by the Board of Works, it is hard to say exactly what its previous appearance
Fig. 227.— Cashel : ** The Cloghan." Etched Jrom a draiving in the possession of Miss M, Stokes.
was. In a large drawing of it made before it was overhauled, contained in Miss
Margaret Stokes's collection, and which shows two large flagstone structures with
a third some yards away protruding from a bank of stones, one would fail to
recognize the trim enclosure set up by the employees of Mr. (now Sir Thomas)
O o O
00
o o O
o .
O
o o
^.'.
o
C30 0^
Fig. 228.— Cashel : ** The Cloghan." P/an by Sir Samuel Ferguson.
Deane. The trench, however, which was then sunk all round the exterior of the
base shows what the form of the monument was, and has exposed the neat course
of stones which served as the edging and support of the cairn or bank within. The
ground plan thus obtained shows it to have been pear-shaped, with an extreme length
of 95 feet, and a breadth of 65 feet at the widest part, the narrower extremity
pointing down the valley in the direction of the sea, and the longer axis being
parallel to the course of the stream which runs at the bottom of the valley a few
yards distant. The drawing in Miss Stokes's collection does not show very
distinctly whether there was any interior court as at Magheraghanrush and
Ballyglass, but a ground-plan made by Sir Samuel Ferguson in, or previous to, the
year 1879, seems to indicate that such was the case, as it shows a considerable
space not covered by stones. We may trust, therefore, that in this particular, the
VOL. I. R
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242
The Dolmens of Ireland.
central court formed in the broad end of the pear-shaped area by the overseer of
the Board of Works was constructed in accordance with indications presented to
him during the course of his work. The following is the impression which was
conveyed to Sir Samuel Ferguson when he visited the spot. "All that now
remains is the ground-plan and underworks of what appears to have been originally
a tumulus, or ' long barrow : ' " ** the ground-plan was two large circles placed side
by side, and together forming a long oval, with one smaller circle annexed at the
southern end." The ground-plan he appends accords, however, much more
closely with what the excavations of the Board of Works have revealed than with
Fig. 229.— Cashel : " The Clog-
han" in Glenmalin. Plan
published by the Board of
IVorhs, Ireland,
Fig. 23o.^Cashel : Sculptured stones at " The
Cloghan," Glenmalin.
any arrangement of circles as he describes. At the southern end he shows two
large cists side by side with apparently the remains of a third more to the
westward. These open into a court now surrounded by a thick wall roughly piled
up by the Board of Works, but in Sir Samuel Ferguson's time filled apparently with
piles of stones. At the northern side he shows two chambers also opening into
the court, and running parallel with each other. That on the E. seems to have
contained three partitions, and that on the W. to have had several roofing-slabs in
place. Beyond these a rugged bank of stones is shown, tapering away towards the
northern extremity. By referring to the monument at Magheraghanrush, it will
be seen how very similar is the plan of that structure to this one.
As seen at present, the following description was written by me after visiting the
spot in 1888. An entrance about 6 feet wide, and 9 or 10 feet in depth, through
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County of Donegal. 243
an enclosing wall opens into a courtyard about 50 feet long by 33 feet broad. On
one side the passage is flanked by a massive block set on edge, supporting the wall,
or bank, of smaller stones above. At this entrance, also, which is at the S. end, is a
stone upon which are certain sculpturings not dissimilar to those in the dst at
Clover Hill in Sligo. A stone — apparently a roofing-stone — ^lies in the passage-way,
and I feel sure that originally, instead of being an entrance passage, as is now the
case, this was a large dolmen or cist, roofed over and opening possibly into the
central court The fact that the interior had been used as a quarry, when the road
down Glenmalin was made, would account for a cart-way having been opened into
it. Turning to the left after entering by this passage, I observed a large dolmen
standing in the thickness of the enclosing wall. It is composed of immense flag-
stones, one on either side, one at the inner end, and one at the bottom, forming a
pavement A fifth large stone which lies outside might have been the covering-
stone. The wall surrounding the court measures about 10 or 12 feet broad, and
has been raised to a height of 5 feet by stones thrown out of the interior. In the
thickness of the wall on the K side a large flat stone indicates, probably, the site of
another dolmen, or chamber, similar to that on the S.W. already described. In the
centre of the enclosure is a large rough rock, which has the appearance of having
been placed there purposely. At the N. end of the court, opposite the entrance, I
observed two elongated dolmens, placed parallel to each other, with a divisional
space between, just as is the case in the monument at Magheraghanrush. Each of
these structures seemed to have possessed two (and that on the £. perhaps thru)
compartments, each divided from the other by a stone partition. In the western
dolmen two roofing-stones are still in place, and in the inner compartment of the
eastern one is a flat stone set against the eastern wall like a seat. The ground-
plan of these two structures resembles closely that of those in the great Sligo
monument A rough cairn extends to the northward of the inner ends of these
structures, and tapers down until it terminates in the narrow end of the pear-shaped
ground-plan. I was informed that, during the course of their operations here, the
Government employees found some few objects, such as pottery, etc., but nothing
which in their opinion was of value.
This monument, at first sight, puzzled me much, and I scarcely knew whether
to assign it to a sepulchral or domestic origin. On the one hand, the name it bears
{Chghan) is that applied to the stone enclosures in Kerry and elsewhere, in which
beehive-huts are surrounded by walls of thick dry masonry. The term is also
applied to the stone huts themselves. Again, in point of ground-plan and con-
struction, this place bears a remarkable likeness to certain structures explored by
me in West Cornwall,! each consisting of a thick bank of stone and earth of oval
form, resting on a basement of containing-stones on edge, which served to support
the bank^ in the thickness of which a series of huts had been constructed, all
opening into a central court The date of the occupation of these " hut clusters "
was that of Roman Provincial Britain, as proved by the contained remains ; and
I mention this fact because I believe that, although the purposes for which these
huts and the " Cloghdn " were constructed may have been different, the general
design is so similar as to mark them as in each case the work of one and the same
people, at periods presumably perhaps far removed from each other. On the other
hand, a glance at the structures, in the wall surrounding the court at Glen Malin,
will suffice to prove that they are not of that class erected for the habitations of the
living, that is to say, they belong to the megalithic series, and are dolmens pure
t Arcbseol. Joarn,, vol, xxx. p. 336.
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244 The Dolmens of Ireland.
and simple, and with such they must be classified. The '^ Cloghan " is a Hmse
of Dolmens^ built after the fashion of the Hut-Clusters of the living, only that the
chambers in the latter are in this case megalithic tombs. Looked at by the light
thrown on the Magheraghanrush monument by the excavations there made, it can
scarcely be doubted that, had the floors of these great cists been carefully explored,
human remains incinerated and otherwise would have been discovered. It is very
unfortunate that no antiquary of experience was called in to assist at and report
upon the " restoration " of this structure, and also, I may add, that the plan of it
furnished by Sir Thomas Deane was taken subsequently to the operations.
It must be to this monument that Mr. Moore refers in the communication
which forms Appendix A to Fergusson's " Rude Stone Monuments." He places it
further up the glen than a group of six dolmens at MacKee's Farm, Malinmore,
and on the same side of the stream, but out of sight of them. Mr. Moore's
description of the place is not very clear. It is as follows : " The large stones of
this group are surrounded by numbers of rough, weather-worn stone blocks,
averaging 2 feet in length. The monuments seem to be all cromlechs and
chambers, and, as far as I could tell, are about a dozen in number. One cromlech
stands a good deal higher than the rest West of it are two stony mounds. These
seem to have been chambers. They are built of long flat slabs, with similar slabs
at the ends and top.*'
''The ground beyond the cromlechs is moorland, and without loose stones.
The stony area is oval, and measures (E. to W.) 130 feet; and (N. to S.) 50 to 60
feet. All the cromlechs are about the same size. In the construction of all, the
aim seems to have been a well-shut-in chamber. The easternmost one is a
chamber 9 feet xo in& long. At each end it has a flat stone 3 feet high. The
side-stones are 7 feet 6 ins. long, and 3 feet high. The width of the chamber is
4 feet 6 ms. At each side and at each end are heaps of loose, small stones." The
plan which Mr. Moore appends shows two parallel lines of monuments, six in the
lower or S. row, and four in the upper, the latter being each of them opposite to
the four at the E. end of the lower row respectively. Under this plan he writes,
** Arrangement of Cromlechs." The two western ones in the S. row are, however,
marked ^ Mounds." Next to them on the E. is the monument which he speaks of
as the highest of the group.
Proc. R.L Acad. "Polite Literature and Antiquities," 2nd Ser. (1879), ^ol- >• P- 121 ;
Collection of original drawings of dolmens in the possession of Miss M. Stokes; Report (55th) of
the Commissioners of Public Works (Ireland), 1887, p. 6 ; Fergusson's *' Rude Stone Monuments,"
App. A, p. 520 ; W. C. B., Note-t)ook, 1888.
A monument was pointed out to me on the opposite side of the stream to that
on which the " Cloghin " is. It is locally known as the Giants Grave^ and consists
of two pillar-stones, the one about 6 feet, the other about 5 feet high, at a distance
of 70 feet apart. Near the shorter of these are the ruins of a dolmen of which this
pillar had been one of the supports. The roofing-stone, measuring 9 feet square,
lies on the ground near it — W. C. B., Note-book, 1888.
3 — 8. In the Townland of Malinmore, and Parish of Glen-
columbkille, at MacKee's Farm, close to the road, and by the
side of a stream, are six dolmens in line, not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 89.
Of the five distinct groups of monuments of the dolmen class, which Mr. Moore
(see Ferguson's R.S.M., loc, cit) mentions as existing in Glen Malin, this one is
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County of Donegal. 245
the nearest to the sea. Here at the bottom of the valley, on the S. side of the
stream, and running parallel with it, is a group of six dolmens, arranged in an
irregular line. In the field immediately to the W. of the westernmost of them *' are
several mounds of stones, with some large blocks amongst them," none of the latter,
however, *^ more than 4 feet long. These extend for some 50 yards in line from
W. to £• A few yards above them is a large pile of stones, in the midst of which
is a stone 6 feet high and 3 feet wide. These heaps have been augmented by
stone from the fields," but Mr. Moore would refer them to the same people who built
the dolmens originally. I noticed in this field two cairns, or heaps of stones, one
of them oblong in form, each having an upright stone in its centre, around which
the other stones had been piled, and resembling, therefore, in this respect, those
monuments, often of Christian date, around which stones have been thrown in
accordance with custom by pilgrims and passers-by.
The line in which the six dolmens are arranged is not quite straight, the W. one
standing some yards to the S. of a line drawn through the others from W. to E.
Beginning from the W., the first is close to MacKee's cottage. Both in size
and in plan this dolmen resembles the one at the other extremity of the line. The
E. end of this monument consists of three tall rugged stones still standing erect ; a
fourth lies prostrate to the S.W. of them, and Mr. Moore mentions a fifth, which,
since the Board of Works have been engaged on the structure, I fail to identify.
Besides these, which Mr. Moore took to be the supporters, there was the ** top-stone,
which had fallen westward of them, and which, firom its size and appearance, I have
no difficulty in identifying with that which the persons employed by Sir Thomas
Deane have set up on the top of a cist which they have constructed at the W. end of
the monument. Of the three upright ones, between the two tallest of which there is
a space 2 feet 6 ins. wide, one measures a little over 10 feet from the top to the
ground. Its proper height, however, would be 12 feet 9 ins., were it not that it
stands in a slanting position. According to my measurement it was 1 1 feet broad
and 4 feet thick, with a greatest girth of 23 feet The second measures 7 feet high
by 5 feet broad and 2 feet thick ; but from the top to the ground, as it slants, it is
only 6 feet 6 ins. high. The third, a slim pillar, measures 7 feet high, 2 feet 10 ins.
broad, and i foot thick. The prostrate stone to the S.W. measures 10 feet long,
5 feet broad, and 2 feet thick. Mr. Moore's second prostrate one, which lay to the
west, measured 7 feet long. He describes ''the top-sdab" as having fallen over this
latter. In his opinion, therefore, the cromlech, which must have been a very tall
and fine one, was composed of " five huge stones and a top." All these five stones
are " of a gritty composition, veined with quartz, a rock common in Slieve Liag,
Slieve Leathan, and the cliffs of the coast Their shape is rugged." The " top-
slab," however, was as unlike them as well could be, although it comes of a kind
found in juxtaposition, geologically, with them. '' It is of pure quartz, about i foot
in thickness, and as smooth almost as a table on each side — quite naturally so,
however, since this sort of stone splits with a smooth surface." It is a " tolerably
regular oblong, measuring 9 feet 8 ins. by 6 feet 6 ins." As it rests now upon the
side-stones of a cist, which forms the west end of the monument, it presents the
appearance of an alabaster altar-slab, shaped by artificial means. Mr. Moore mentions
that at the end of this monument, where the upright pillars stand, were '< some
smaller blocks and another slab," which in his time were '' almost hidden by small
stones and earth. There were two supporting-stones and a slab," the latter measuring
superficially 6 feet by 3 feet At present, since the " restoration " by the Board of
Works, there is a large low cist in this place, measuring about 9 feet long and 6 feet
wide. The E. end is open, but a slab closes the western end. One long slab
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246 The Dolmens of Ireland.
forms the S. side, and two slabs the N. side, the roof being formed of the beautiful
quartz slab before mentioned. To the W. of this cist, again, there was, in 1888,
a pile of stone which had not been long placed there. It is clear that the whole
structure was overhauled, and renovated as the foreman of the Board of Works
thought right.
It is satisfactory to find on referring to my notes that Mr. Moore and I are
perfectly in accord as to what the monument was originally like. **It appears
to me," I find myself writing, " that this was a double dolmen." " After examining
all the monuments of the two glens (Columbkille and Glen-Malin)," writes Mr.
Moore, " I came to the conclusion that this was a cromlech with a stone chamber
beside it" If for "double dolmen," and "cromlech with chamber beside it," we
agree to call it a " dolmen-allong^e, with the inner end unusually elevated," we shall
see our way clear to adding it to a series of monuments well known in Ireland and
in Western Europe generally. Whether the prostrate stone (10 feet by 5 feet) was
Fig. 231.— Malinmore, the western dolmen. Etched from a sketch in the Board 0/ Works Report,
once on the top of the three pillars, or whether the white quartz altar-stone occupied
that position, or was really the covering of the ante-chamber, or passage-way, leading
to the loftier structure, is uncertain. Mr. Moore's opinion on this point, added to
the fact that there was another smaller covering-stone at the western end, leads me to
think that the former view is the correct one. In any case, this monument is one
of the most interesting and typical in Ireland, and it is to be regretted that it has
been tampered with. It evidently bore a close resemblance to the dolmen at
Ardaragh in Bear Island, in Cork, and also to that at Parses near Evora in
Portugal, a photograph of which is in Cartailhac's "Ages Pr^historiques de
I'Espagne."
The second dolmen stands out of line to the northward. It is 30 feet distant
from the first. The stones are of much smaller size than those in the latter. " The
highest standing-stone," says Mr. Moore, " is 4 feet, and it seems that there were
five uprights. The top-slab has fallen to the W. side. It measures 6 feet 3 ins. by
5 feet" Mr. Moore states that there was no trace of a chamber, but at present the
cist is so perfect that it is used as a goose's pen. The two sides and the end, each
composed of a single slab, are perfect To the right of the entrance, or open side,
are two pillar-stones on the S. side, one of them 5 feet in height
The third dolmen is 44 feet distant from the second, to the E. It consists ot
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County of Donegal. 247
five uprights and a covering flag. Only one upright was erect when Mr. Moore saw
it, the height of which was 5 feet and the breadth 3 feet. From the small ground-
plan he subjoins, it appears tliat the sides of the cist were each formed by two
slabs, and that there was one at the inner end. The shape was that of a wedge,
expanding towards the inner end. The covering-slab measured 8 feet by 7 feet,
and was 2 feet thick. It appeared to me that there might have been a second
covering-stone to this cist, as the one still in situ had slipped o£f the outer end of
the cist, and there was no covering to the inner portion.
The fourth is a small fallen dolmen, 30 feet £. of the third. The covering-slab
measures 6 feet 8 ins. by 6 feet. It is composed of four stones, one on either side,
one at the end, and one on the top. At the open end there is now a bank of stones.
Mr. Moore remarks that '* a series of low mounds, with large stones sticking out
here and there, forms a sort of connection with the next monument to the £/'
The fifth stands at a distance of 48 feet (42 feet in my measurement) K of the
fourth, a bank of large rough stones, as . noticed by Mr. Moore, lying between this
and the last dolmen. As described by Mr. Moore, " the slab had fallen to the
eastward, and the uprights in several directions. The tallest upright was 6 feet
high," and upon this, when I saw it, the covering-slab rested diagonally. It
measured 10 feet by 9 feet, and was about 13 inches thick. *< Around this dolmen
lay a number of loose stones. They were from i foot to 2 feet long, and were
mica schist and quartz." Mr. Moore observed that they were not such as would
be picked off the meadow, and that they seemed in some way connected with the
monument.
The sixth and last of this series lies at a distance of 96 feet, says Mr. Moore,
£. of the last (I made the distance between them only 80 feet, and can only
account for the difference by supposing that Mr. Moore extended his measure-
ment to the end of the line, that is, to the eastern end of the sixth and last
monument). This is a very large dolmen, and both in its proportions and
construction bears a remarkable likeness to the first at the further end of the line.
I find it no easy matter to reconcile the little plan annexed to Mr. Moore's
description with the one I made on the spot The process of overhatiling and
renovating has been carried on here almost as vigorously as in the case of the
first. It was used, when Mr. Moore saw it, as " one side of a respectable byre.
All the stones of which it was built," he adds, " have more or less the character
of slabs," a point in which I cannot agree, since the largest of them is the most
rough and rugged mass I have ever seen in connection with dolmen-builders'
work. "One great, smooth piece of quartz seems to have been the roof. It
measures 18 feet 7 ins. by 11 feet" This I am quite unable to identify, the fiat
marble slab now visible on the N. side measuring only 10 feet by 6 feet or 7 feet,
according to my measurement. I am in agreement with Mr. Moore, however, that
the biggest of the stones lies to the £. of the chamber, and that its dimensions are
12 feet by 14 feet, by 6 feet thick. My impression of the whole congeries of stones
was as follows : They were in all eight in number. In the centre stood two slabs,
clearly the remains of a large covered portion of the structure. They were neatly
and squarely placed at right angles to each other at the S.W. comer. That which
formed the W. end was 6 feet high and 6 feet long, and of inconsiderable thickness.
That which formed the S. side was 8 feet long and 6 feet high, and of the same
width. At the S.£. angle of the vault which was thus formed was a small stone at
right angles to the one at the S. side, and which probably marked the end of the
cist, which would have been 6 or 7 feet long by about 5 feet 6 ins. broad. It
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248 The Dolmens of Ireland.
appeared to me that the northern side-stone had been removed, causing the fall of
the flat marble capstone, much resembling the covering-stone in the first dolmen,
before described. It measured 10 feet by 6 feet superficially, and lay on its side,
sloping down towards a lane below, the existence of which latter would have
afforded an easy means of removing any stones of this monument which might have
been found convenient for building. Against the W. end of the cist lay a huge,
flattish block, measuring 1 1 feet by 8 feet, in a slanting position. At its opposite
and eastern end stood, also in a slanting position, another block measuring 9 feet
by 9 feet. Outside the cist, at the S.W. end, lying parallel with the S. side of the
cist, lay a prostrate pillar-stone, 10 feet long by 3 feet broad. Lastly, the most
rugged block of all, 12 feet by 14 feet by 6 feet thick, lay in a sloping position,
having seemingly partly slipped down towards the lane, at the N.£. comer of the
monument
The similarity between the arrangement here and that in the dolmen at the W.
end is apparent In each case at the K end stood several rugged pillars of con-
siderable height Below them to the W. was a neatly formed cist or chamber,
closed at the W. end, but seemingly open at the £. end. Whether the pillars at
the E. end supported a roofing-stone is uncertain, but I think it probable that they
did. In both monuments alike there is a fine flat marble slab, as well as another
stone at the W. end, either or both of which would serve the purpose of covering-
stones. The marble (quartz) slabs would certainly have looked more in place
upon the neat square cists, not unlike card-boxes, at the W. end of each monument,
as the overseer of the Board of Works evidently thought when he placed that in
the first dolmen in that position. Had the prostrate pillar at the S.W. side of the
E. dolmen, and the flattish stone (11 feet by 8 feet) at the W. end of the cist, been
at the £. end, I should have concluded that the former was the third support of a
dolmen^ and that the latter was its covering-stone, the other two supports being
the rock (9 feet by 9 feet) at the £. end of the cist, and the rugged block (12 feet
by 14 feet) at the N.E. comer. Possibly thb was the intention, never carried out
Similarly, in the case of the W. dolmen, the prostrate, flattish block (10 feet by
5 feet by 2 feet thick) to the S. of the three upright pillars might once have been
placed upon them, or been brought there for that purpose, in which case each of
these monuments (the first and sixth), would have been precisely uniform in plan
and construction, and this, I think, was the intention. That such rude and lofty
structures as these would have been, were sometimes erected in Ireland, we have
proof in such an example as that called the '' Giant's Load'' at Ballymascanlan in
Down.
Near the sixth and last is a low, stony mound, says Mr. Moore^ and " from a
few yards to the E. of it a ridge runs slantwise up the side of (Slieve) Leathan."
It extends for a quarter of a mile, but does not terminate in any other monument,
but loses itself in the hillside. Many stones stick out of it, and at a distance
of some hundred and fifty yards up the ridge a slab was noticed projecting from
the heather, and possibly, so Mr. Moore thought, the top of a dolmen. From
certain geological indications he further surmises that a spot where the bed-rock of
the mountain was uncovered was the site of the quarry, whence the stones for this
group had been conveyed, and " in this case the ridge may have been the road "
down which they were brought From the opposite side of the valley this series of
megaliths presents a curious straggling appearance. They are all included in a
line of about a hundred yards in length.
Fei^usson's " Rude Stone Monuments," A pp. A., p. 520 ; Report of the Commissioners of
Public Works, Ireland (1887) ; W. C. B., Note-book, 1888.
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County of Donegal. 249
9 — 20. In the Townlands on the northern side of the Valley
of Glenmalin, opposite to that on which are those at MacKee s
Farm and in Cashel — in those, seemingly, of Brade, Straleel,
and Gannew-and-Curreen — in the Parish of Glencolumbkille,
Mr. Moore places twelve dolmens, not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 89.
These dolmens occur in groups. The first which Mr. Moore notices, and which
is the furthest from the sea, consists, he says, of five or six cromlechs, only one of
which is, however, in good preservation. It consisted of a slab resting on four flat
blocks, enclosing a chamber. The side-stones were each 5 feet 8 ins. long. This
group stands on a small flat piece of ground below a crag, and above a stream.
Leading from the chamber, there seemed to have been a passage, the sides of which
were formed of slabs of stone, only a few of which remained.
At a spot lower down the glen than this group stood *'a solitary^ pointed stone,
measuring 6 feet i in. high, and 5 feet 5 ins. in girth.
At a distance of 1 10 feet higher up the slope than this menhir, and 18 feet further
W., a group of " four or five " dolmens, together with cairns, commenced — these, in
common with the former, being on the N. side of the valley.
''The first of this group is a chamber cromlech. It is much buried in the
heather. Some loose stones lie around the cromlech. What seems to have been
the top-slab is 10 feet across, and nearly square, and 2 feet thick. One of the side
slabs of the chamber is 10 feet 8 ins. by 4 feet The tallest stone is at the £. end,
and is in height 6 feet 8 ins. Lower down the slope, below this cromlech, are
several low mounds, from which there are no projecting stones. Two hundred
yards W., in a straight line, is a huge cromlech. It seems to have consisted of a
gigantic slab, supported on three upright stones, not forming a closed chamber.
The top-slab is still on its supports. It is 3 feet thick, and measures 13 feet by
10 feet 9 ins. The tallest of the uprights is 9 feet high, and is rather pointed at
the top. The third upright seems to have been broken into several pieces. Some
10 yards from this is another cromlech, of equal dimensions, and, a little S. of these,
several large loose stones are lying on the ground. Forty yards W. is a chamber
cromlech, of small dimensions, and near it are many mounds, with stones projecting,
possibly artificial"
At some little distance further down the glen, and on the N. side, were two
cromlechs, separated (united ?) by a short ridge, so that Mr. Moore considered
them " parts of one structure." " The eastern part is fallen. It consists of three
uprights and a top-slab. The western part consists of two stones, leaning gable-
wise against one another. Between the two there is a short ridge, from which
several stone? stick out. Each of the western pair of stones is about 7 feet high, by
6 feet broad. The dimensions of the eastern part of the monument are : Top-slab,
11 feet by 7 feet; thickness, i foot 6 ins. Uprights (i) 8 feet (and ? 2 feet below
ground) by 7 feet 7 ins. broad, and 2 feet 3 ins. thick ; (2) 9 feet 6 ins. by 2 feet 8
ins. ; thickness, 2 feet 5 ins. ; (3) 9 feet 6 ins. by 3 feet 5 ins.
Fergusson's **Rude Stone Monuments," App. A., p. 520.
21. In the Townland of Roshin, and Parish of Killybegs
Upper — on the Promontory between Fintragh Bay and Mac-
Swyne's Bay — and on the right-hand side of the road going
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250 The Dolmens of Ireland.
S. towards Drumanoo, is a dolmen, not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 97. To the W. is an elevated site marked Farbreaga.
It is situated on the summit of rising ground. The length internally is 12 feet
It lies E. and W., and is broader in the centre than at either end. Across the centre
it measures 5 feet The N. side is composed of two stones set on edge, the one
lying low, and measuring 10 feet long; the other 3 feet high, and 5 feet long. The
stone at the W. end is 4 feet long and 4 feet high. The S. side is also composed
of two stones, the one 7 feet, the other 6 feet long, and both 4 feet high. At the
E. end there would seem to have been an entrance between two smaller stones ;
the one 2 feet 6 ins. long and 4 feet high ; the other i foot 6 ins. long, and not so
high. A few feet from the monument, on the N.W., lies a stone 7 feet long, and,
to the S.E., another 4 feet long. These, possibly, formed portions of an outer circle,
and large stones in the hedges adjoining may also have belonged to it
About a quarter of a mile from this, on the side remote from Killibegs, is a little
stone-built fort, crowning the summit of a rocky eminence. It measures only 40
feet in intemal diameter.
W. C. B., Note-hook, 1888.
22. In the Townland of Drumbarity, and Parish of Killy-
begs Upper, about a mile and a half N.W. of Killybegs, is a
dolmen, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 97. It is near a
small fort, and the name Altar Hill appears in the Map. An
adjoining Townland is called Largynagreana. The dolmen is
locally called ** The Giant's Grave," and the fort " Castle
Carragh."
This monument consists of two compartments, separated by a partition stone.
One of the compartments is covered with a flagstone measuring 9 feet by 7 feet.
23 — 28. In the Townland of Farranmacbride, and Parish of
Glencolumbkille, on the N. side of the glen, and at the foot of
the mountain called Ballard, a group of six dolmens, not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 80.
This, says Mr. Moore, is the only group of dolmens in Glen-Columbkille — the
valley adjoining that of Glen-Malin. The monuments are all of the chamber kind,
according to Mr. Moore's definition, who divides these antiquities in this district
into " (i) cromlechs^ by which he understands those more rugged dolmens which do
not form a closed chamber, and which are higher than the others ; (2) stone chambers,
by which he means the more regularly formed square or oblong cist dolmens;
(3) solitary stones^ i.e. menhirs. The chambers are made of huge slabs, one at each
side, one atop, one at each end." He measured one, and found it to be 12 feet
long, and 4 feet broad. " Most of the monuments project a little above the ground.
One is used to keep calves in, one for pigs, and one for lambs. A native of the
townland stated that his brother had dug up a akuU and a piece of earthenware
near one of the cromlechs. The skull was buried in the churchyard, and its grave
is forgotten. The same man said that, digging to clear a cromlech for a malt-store,
they found that the side-slabs rested on a basement slab. The ground is very
rugged about these monuments, and some are quite beneath ground." Mr.» Moore
thought there were six in all
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( 251 )
COUNTY OF LONDONDERRY.
In the Barony of Coleraine.
I. In the Townland of Bally woolen, at West Bannmouth, in
the Parish of Dunboe, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
Maps Nos. 2 or 3. It was called locally the "Giant's Grave."
^r
P'iG. 232.— Bally woolen (West Bannmouth). J^rom a sketch in the Proc, R.ff.A.A.I,
This may be taken as a fair illustration of a dolmen in its uncovered state. The
area enclosed by the end- and side-stones is somewhat circular.
Journ. R.H. A.A.I. (1879), p. 135, and sketch.
2. In the Townland of Balteagh, and Parish of Macosquin, not
marked in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 6, 7, 10, or 11.
Sampson mentions the existence of a CromUch here.
•* Survey of the County of Londonderry," p. 496.
3. In the Townland of Cashel, and Parish of Macosquin, two
miles and a half S E. of Balteagh, is a dolmen marked Ancient
Cromlac in Ord. Surv. Map No. ii. A mile S.E. of it is The
Priest's Cliair ; and between the two, Rorys Cam.
I think this must be the dolmen of which Mr. George Du Noyer gives two
sketches in his series of drawings in the Lib. R.L A., under the name of Macosquin,
in which parish both this dolmen and that of Balteagh are. For sketch, see next page.
Ord. Surv. Ser., vol. iv. (Londonderry vol. ii.), p. loo.
4. In the Townland of Tamnymore, and Parish of Errigal,
is a dolmen marked DruicCs Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. i8.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
5. In the Townland of Slaghtaverty, and Parish of Errigal,
is a dolmen called Slaghtaverty, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 26.
O.S.L., Co. Londonderry, ^r^» P* 183, et seqq,
E. 11
Fig. 233.— Cashel (Macosquin). /h?/f/ oif original drcntnngby G, Du Noyer,
6, 7. In the Townland of Carranroe, and Parish of Aghadowey,
on the W. bank of the River Bann, is a dolmen marked Gianfs
Bed in Ord. Surv. Map No. 19.
This is probably the " Cromlech in the Parish of Aghadowey " mentioned in the
Ord. Surv. MSS. (arranged in cases) in the Lib. R.LA., Box 29, i. 4.
In the same communication a *^ Giant's Grave" is described and planned.
In the North-East Liberties of Coleraine.
I. In the Townland of Crossreagh West, and Parish of Bally-
aghran, N.E. of Craig-an-ariff Fort, in Cannance, on the E. bank
of the River Bann, at its mouth, opposite Bally woolen, is a dolmen
not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 3.
The existence of a cromlech here is mentioned in Ord. Surv. MSS. (in cases),
Box 30.
In the North-West Liberties of Londonderrv.
I. In the Townland of Ballymagrorty, and Parish of Temple-
more, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 1 3 or 20.
The next Townland, between it and the shore of Rosses Bay,
in Lough Foyle, is called Cloughglass.
This is described as "a small cromleac, the table-stone of which is about 4 feet
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County of Londonderry. 253
by 3 feet" When seen in the year 1837, it was nearly concealed by earth thrown
over it
**Ord. Surv. of the County of Londonderry (Parish of Templemore)/' edited by Col. Colby,
Dublin, 1837, p. 217.
In the Barony of Tirkeeran.
1. In the Townland of Edenreagh Beg, and Parish of Clonder-
mot, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 14.
2. In the Townland of Lettershendoney, and Parish of Cumber
Lower, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 14 or 22.
It lies about a mile and a quarter S.W. of Edenreagh Beg.
Sampson mentions a cromlech at this place.
** Survey of the County of Londonderry," p. 496.
3. In the Townland of Glasakeeran, or Glasacaoran, and Parish
Fig. 234. — Glasakeeran. Fivm a sketch in the ^session of Miss M, Stokes.
of Faughanvale, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 15. This name is also written Glas-a-Cooran and
Glaskernan.
I find a brief description of this curious monument in Miss Stokes's collection of
notes on, and sketches of mega- ^^
lithic remains. A plan and /^'*. 1 ^
sketch accompany the descrip- *\[| * * * »
tion. The monument, it is e •••
stated, measured 24 feet in
length, and was divided into /.V?'*:.
three avenues, or aisles, which -* *.*
really represent the central oo^ y*
structure, and the peristyle * •!!•*'' ^, , ^ , , . ,^
• •. rt^i ' LL 1 y Fig. 235.— Glasakeeran. From a rough plan tn the
€nvu:omngit. There is a " dol- possession of Miss M, Stofis.
men-like" structure at either
end, as well as a group of four upright stones. The plan shows a concentric circle
close to the monument
Loc. cit.
4. In the Townland of Slaghtmanus, and Parish of Cumber
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254
The Dolmens of Ireland.
Lower, is a dolmen called Slaghtmanus, is not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 23.
Sampson gives an illustration of this dolmen. The cap-stone rests on four
pillars, two at either end.
" Survey of the County of Ix)ndonderry,** p. 496.
Fig. 236. — Slaghtmanus. Etched from a drawing in Sampson's Survey.
In the Barony of Keenaght.
I. In the Townland of Carrick East, and Parish of Carrick,
Fig. 237. — Carrick East, "The Clochoyle," or "Cove Stones." Etched from an original sketch
in the possession of Miss M, Stokes.
is a dolmen marked Cove Stones in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17. It
is called also the " Clochoyle Stones."
A drawing of this monument, which clearly proves it to be an example of a
dolmen in its elongated form, dated April 1850, is in the collection formed by Miss
Stokes. It retained, at that time, two of its covering-stones, one at either end.
Loc. cit, ; Ord. Surv. MSS. (in cases), Lib. R.LA., Box 31 ; Ord. Surv. Sketches, vol. ix. (Co.
Londonderry, vol. ii.), p. 104.
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County of Londonderry. 255
2. In the Townland of Drumsurn Upper, and Parish of
Balteagh, at Donald's Hill, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 17. It is locally called the *' Giant's Grave."
Ord. Surv. MSS. (in cases), Lib. R.I.A., Box 31.
3. In the Townland of Kilhoyle, and Parish of Balteagh, near
King's Fort, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 17.
It is locally called the " Giant's Grave."
Ord. Surv. MSS. (in cases), Lib. R.I.A., Box 31.
In the Barony of Loughlinsholin.
*i. In the Townland of Slaghtneill, and Parish of Killelagh, a
Stone IS marked and figured in a leaning position in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 32.
2. In the Townland of Cloone, and Parish of Bally nascreen,
is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35. It is locally
called the " Giant's Grave."
Ord. Sunr. MSS. (in cases), Lib. R.I. A., Box 30.
3. In the Townland of Drumderg, and Parish of Bally nascreen.
The dolmen is not marked as such ; but at the S. point of this
Townland, not far from the summit of Slieve Doan, a site is named
Crockmore.
Sampson says that at Ballynasreen, by which he means " near," or " in the
parish of," are to be found some cromlechs. The Townlands of Cloone, Drum-
derg, and Tullybrick, in each of which is a dolmen, are in this Parish. At
Drumderg, or Druimaderg, " is shown a Giant's Grave, which gives the Townland
its name.''
•'Survey of the County of Londonderry," by Sampson, p. 496; O.S.L., Co. Londonderry,
4. In the Townland of Tullybrick, and Parish of Bally nascreen,
is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 25.
A " Grave " at this place is mentioned in Ord Surv. MSS. (in cases), Lib. R.L A.,
Box 30.
5. 6. In the Townland of Mobuy, and Parish of Lissan, is a
dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 45 or 46. This
Townland lies midway between the mountain-peak of Slieve
Gallion (in the Townland of Letteran : see Ord. Surv. Map
No. 46) and Lough Fea, anciently called Lough-na-Gun. This
lake is two miles and a half W. of the peak of Slieve Gallion
(1730 feet), and is partly in Tyrone. On the side of the hill„
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256 The Dolmens of Ireland.
between the lake and the mountain- top, a large stone is marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 45, and indicated by a sketch which might
be a dolmen.
Mr. Bell terms such cairns as contain dolmens, or chambers, or cists, leachts,
" I inspected," he says, " two of these leachts at Mobuy, one of a small size, which
is conical, the other elliptical and convex, and which measures nearly 100 yards in
circumference.
" Part of the larger we uncovered, and found in it a cromlech composed of seven
columns about 6 feet in height, supporting two ponderous blocks of granite, the
larger measuring 10 feet in length, 5 feet 3 ins. in breadth, and about 4 feet thick.
Some broken pieces of urn were found. The vessel had been well burnt, but
coarsely figured and ornamented. Charred wood was also found." In this Town-
land was a '' beautiful round hill, called Knock-Aind"
14
Neivry Magatitu for the year 1815, paper by Mr. Bell ; O.S.L., Co. Londonderry, ^ p. 227.
£. 12
7. On the N. side of the summit of Slieve Gallion, in the
Townland of Boveagh, is a cairn marked Slieve Gallion Cairn.
It is not marked ** Carnonbane," nor is any site so marked on the
map, although that is the name of the place assigned to Callan's
Grave, which should be looked for between the mountain and the
lake. The cairn is almost on the boundary of the Townland of
Cullion, which adjoins that of Boveagh to the N. Boveagh is in
the Parish of Desartmartin.
This " Giant's Grave " on Carnonbane, that is, it would seem, on the northern
shoulder or side of Slieve Gallion, between the summit and the lake, is more than
once spoken of by O'Donovan, and the writers of the Ord. Surv. Letters, as a
peculiarly large one, and typical of its class.
An old quatrain states that Callan, the son of the King of Tir-Suthain, was
buried on the N. side of the mountain, his head (pointing) down to Lough-na-gun,
and his feet up towards the mountain. " This," says O'Donovan, " is the situation
of the Giant's Grave on Carnonbane, which is said to be where Callan M6r is
interred."
O.S.L., Co. Londonderry, J^ , pp. 186, 225, 227.
£<• 12
Note. — Sampson mentions a cromlech " not far from Salter's Town " (" Surv. of
the County of Londonderry," p. 496). I am unable to identify the site.
8. On the glebe in the Parish of Tamlaght is a dolmen, of
which the editor of Lewis says that it was called " Cloughtogel,"
and was composed of a stupendous table-stone of granite, weighing
twenty-two tons, raised 13 feet above the ground on six uprights.
That the height of the uprights is exaggerated may be judged
from the annexed sketch taken at the time of the Ord. Survey.
It is added in Lewis that there were formerly "several other
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County of Londonderry.
257
cromlechs connected with this, extending in a line due E. and W.,
the whole surrounded by a circle of upright stones.*'
Lewis, "Topog. Diet. Ireland, Par. of Tamlaght."
{^^^^
FiG. 238.— Glebe, Parish of Tamlaght, "The Cloghoyle." From the Ord, Survey Sketches,
Note. — Besides the names Slaghtneill, Slaghtmanus, Slaghtaverty, and Slaght-
freeden (in Tyrone), at each of which places there is a monument of the dolmen
kind, there is in this Barony of Loughlinsholin, and in the Parish of Maghera, a
Townland called Slaghtbogy, in which a dolmen probably existed.
VOL. L
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258
The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF ANTRIM.
In the Barony of Gary.
I. In the Townland of Lemnaghbeg, and Parish of Ballintoy,
is a dolmen marked Druid's Stone in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
It lies half a mile W. of the Clegnagh dolmen.
Mr. William Gray states that the local name of this dolmen is Cloghnaboghii,
Fig. 239.— Lemnaghbeg. Etched from sketch by Mr, Gray,
which he translates ** Stone of the bog." He considers it " the smallest cromlech
in the north-east of Ireland" It consists of a rough covering-stone supported by
three others. Its position commands a very extended view seaward, including a
considerable portion of the west coast and islands of Scotland.
Gray, "Belfast Naturalists* Field-Club's Guide to Belfast," p. 200; Journ. R.H.A.A-I., 4ih Ser.,
vol. vi. (1883-84), p. 360, and pi. ii. fig. 6.
2. In the Townland of Clegnagh, and Parish of Ballintoy,
Fig. 240.— Clegnagh. Etched from sketch by Mr, Gray.
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County of Antrim. 259
between Magheraboy and Lemnaghbeg, is a dolmen not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4. It is near a quarry on the hillside,
S. of the road from Ballintoy to the Causeway.
"A small but very perfect cromlech." The covering-stone is a rugged block
resting on equally rough supports. Mr. Gray found worked flints, flint flakes, and
numerous chips of flint very near this monument. " Stone celts have also been
found in the immediate neighbourhood."
Gray, "Guide to Belfast," p. 2O0 ; Journ. R.II.A.A.T., 4th Sen, vol. vi. (1883-84), p. 360, and
pi. ii. fig. 5.
3. In the Townland of Magheraboy, and Parish of Ballintoy,
is a dolmen marked ** Druid's Stone" in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
^^^(^^■^^^'i^^f^M^ ^-'^^
Fig. 241. — Magheraboy (Ballintoy). Etched from sketch by Mr, Gray,
It occupies a commanding site behind the rectory, and is locally
known as the " Druid's Altar."
This dolmen consists of an incumbent stone measuring 6 feet 6 ins. long by
5 feet 6 ins. broad, and in some places 3 feet thick, covering a very perfect cist
formed by five stones, no one of which is over 3 feet above ground.
It was surrounded by two circles of stones, one inside the other, the diameter
of the outer circle being about 35 feet, the stones composing it being about 2 feet
high. When I visited this dolmen in 1888, nineteen of the stones of the ring were
still in place, but the smaller ones, and those of the cairn which they had enclosed,
and which, doubtless, had covered the dolmen, had been employed to build an
adjacent wall
When Dubourdieu compiled his "Survey," in 181 1, many of the stones had
already been taken away, but in 1837, according to a writer in the Dublin Penny
Journal^ as many as thirty-three remained. They were from i to 2 feet thick.
This dolmen resembles closely those at Lemnaghbeg and Clegnagh. They
belong to the same class as the encircled dolmens at Carrowmore in Sligo, and all
three occupy positions commanding a wide prospect to seaward, placed as they are
in elevated positions upon the hilltops which skirt the shores of Whitepark Bay.
Dubourdieu mentions that stone hatchets and flint arrow-heads are found in
great numbers near Ballintoy, " some very rude, others as skilfully cut and neatly
shaped as metal. In a lime-quarry in the same parish, six graves,'' he states.
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26o The Dolmens of Ireland.
" were found. They were composed of stones rudely set Two urns were dis-
covered in them, 2 feet underground. One of them was 12 inches high, and
ii| inches in diameter. The other was 3 inches high, and 4 inches in diameter.
They were of rude workmanship, seemingly of dried clay not baked. Four other
urns were found near, all mouth downwards and covering burnt bones."
Dubourdieu, "Survey of the County of Antrim" (18 1 1), with engraving; Dublin Penny
Journal (1837), vol. ii. p. 381 ; "Guide to Belfast,** p. 200; Journ. R.H.A.A.I. (1883-84), 4tn
Ser. vol. vi. pp. 359, 360, and pi. ii., fig. 4 ; MS. " Notes on Dolmens," by Miss M. Stokes ;
W. C. B. Note-book, 1888.
4. In the Townland of Cross, and Parish of Culfeightrin, at
Benmore, als. Fair Head, N.E. of Ballycastle, is a dolmen not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4.
The remains of this small dolmen occur on the rocky plateau of the headland.
Until recent years the chamber was the favourite retreat of badgers, and the
monument was complete until overturned by sportsmen in search of those animals.
Journ. R.H.A.A.I. (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi., pp. 359, 360.
5. In the Townland of Moyarget, and Parish of Ramoan, is
a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 8, locally known
as " The Grey Stone."
" This monument stood near the southern, or rather eastern, bank of the Inver,
or Inver Water, now a small stream separating the parish of Ramoan from that of
Ballintoy. There were originally six supporting-stones, about 5 feet long, and the
length of the cap-stone was about 18 feet"
In 1840 the Rev. George Hill explored this dolmen* He states that "a large
urn of burnt clay was fouad about 2 feet below the surface, placed mouth downwards
on a rude pavement, and containing a dark paste, evidently ashes made damf)."
The name Moyarget = Magh Arghaid, i.e. Plain of Arget, which in old Gaulish
would read Argentomagos: Comp, Argentoratum.
Gray, Journ. R.H.A.A.T. (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. p. 363.
IM^'
ir*c —
Fig. 242.— Bally vennaght, ** The Clochanunker." Etched from sketch by Mr, Gray,
6, 7. In the Townland of Bally vennaght, and Parish of
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County of Antrim.
261
Culfeightrin, on the N. side of the road from Cushendall to
Ballycastle, about a quarter of a mile from the central of the three
County bridges, in the direction of East Torr, are two dolmens
lying 80 yards apart in a direction N. and S., not marked in
Ord. Surv. Map No. 10. One of them is called Cloghanunker.
The other is at the head of the valley of the Cary River.
The chamber of the southernmost of these two dolmens measures 5 feet long by
3 feet 6 ins. wide. It is formed of four upright stones. The stone which covers it
measures 9 feet long, and 7 feet 6 ins. wide. All the stones composing it are of
the Cambrian rock of the district. Near the dolmen is a menhir standing on a
hillock.
The covering-stone of the northernmost dolmen measures 13 feet 4 ins. long by
1 1 feet 6 ins. broad, and is about 3 feet thick. The supporting-stones have given
way under it It stands in swampy moorland.
"Guide to Belfast," p. 200; Journ. R.H.A.A.T. (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. p. 360.
■^
■m^'^f.M//'-'
.»->vif'
^^^
W^m^^.^- -
Fig. 243.— Ballyvennaght. Etched from sketch by Mr, Gray,
8. In the Townland of East Torr, and Parish of Culfeightrin,
rmsmsk
Fig. 244.— East Torr. Etched front sketch by Mr, Gray,
crowning the hill of Carnanmore, is a monument marked Carnlea
in Ord. Surv. Map No. lo.
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262 The Dolmens of Ireland.
This is a chambered cairn, the chamber being roofed in with large flags, and
covered over with a heap of small stones.
Journ. R.H.A.A.L (1883-84), 4th Sen, vol. vi. p. 358, and pi. i.. No. I.
In the Barony of Glenarm Lower.
1. In the Townland of Layd, and Parish of Layd, not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 15.
A dolmen at this place is mentioned in MS. "Notes on Dolmens," in the
possession of Miss M. Stokes.
2, 3. In the Townland of Cloghs, and Parish of Layd, was a
dolmen marked Cromleach in Ord. Surv. Map No. 19.
" There was once," says Mr. Gray, ** a very large cromlech at this place. Many
of the stones that composed the chamber may still be traced in the fences near the
site; but the great cap-stone and others were removed some years ago by an
enterprising workman, who had them blown up by gunpowder to supply material
for building the adjoining house, 'An' by the same token,* said our informant, * no
good iver come iv him.' " Within about a quarter of a mile from this, and further
up the slope of the hill, is a second monument of the same class. The chamber of
this dolmen measured 4 feet long and 3 feet 4 ins. wide. It was formed of six
blocks of stone. When Mr. Gray saw it the cap-stone had been overturned, but it
was otherwise in fair preservation*
Gray, Journ. R.H.A.A.f. (1883-84X vol. vi., 4th Ser., pp. 362, 363, and 360 ; " Guide to Belfast,"
p. 201.
4. In the Townland of Lubitavish, and Parish of Layd, is
i* o
Fig. 245.— Lubilavish. Etched from sketch by Mr, Gray,
a dolmen cairn to the N.E. of the site of the Cloghs dolmens,
which lay between it and Trostan. An adjoining Townland is
called Clochglass. It is a mile W. of Cushendall, and is locally
called " Ossian's Grave."
Mr. Gray says, '* A rude stone circle and avenue occurs on the mountain slope.
The site commands an extensive prospect" The stones composing this monument
were about thirty-four in number. They formed two chambers about 5 feet long
each, and a well-defined semicircle 18 feet in diameter.
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County of Antrim. 263
All that is now to be seen of this monument is a portion of the semicircle
here alluded to, and a few stones of the dismantled chamber. The structure,
when perfect, was doubtless a dolmen cairn. Under one of the stones, when it
was raised, there was found, so the farmer informed me, " a piece of yellow metal
in the shape of an axe."
On the brow of the same hill, about half a mile to the W., are the remams of
another dolmen cairn.
Between this so-called " Ossian's Grave," and MacCloy's Farm, on the slope
of the hill, is a huge rock naturally embedded in the soil. Arrow-heads of flint,
beautifully chipped, and of various forms, are frequently found in ploughing this
hilL These are sold to bagmen whose price for one in 1888 was twopence, although
some now fetch as much as five shillings. The tenant told me that he had himself
found a black smooth stone like a hatchet — doubtless a polished celt of the type
common in these parts.
Gray, Journ. R.H. A.A.I. (i883-84>, vol. vi., 4th Ser., p. 360 ; ** Guide to Belfast," p. 208 ;
W. C. B., Note-book, 1888.
5. In the Townland of Doonan, and Parish of Tickmacrevan,
is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 29.
.injtBnifflIIE30ttin!iail3PIl^»^^^
Fig. 246. — Doonan, showing dolmen and Doonan Fort. Etched from sketch by Mr. Gray,
This monument is without covering-stones. It consists of slabs lining the
sides of a trench sunk in the ground It measures 24 feet long by 7 feet broad in
the centre, but narrows to a breadth of 3 feet at one end, where there would
seem to have been a narrow passage forming the entrance.
About 60 paces from it, and occupying a commanding situation in the valley
just over a waterfall, is a steep mound of earth and stone, seemingly in part
natural, and from which the place derived the name of Doonan Fort, the latter
word, ** Fort," having reference perhaps to the Feart, or Grave, near it. Near the
dolmen was a series of rudely circular chambers.
" Guide to Belfast," p. 208 ; W. C. B., Note-book, 1888.
6. In the Parish of Tickmacrevan, on the E. slope of Bally-
gilbert Hill, above the old road from Larne to Glenarm, 8 miles
N. of Larne, and 3^ miles S. of Glenarm, is a dolmen not marked
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 29. This dolmen is called Cloughogan.
This dolmen forms part of a boundary hedge near a farm cottage, and did
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264
The Dolmens of Ireland.
service for years as a pig-sty and poultry-house. The interstices between the
uprights have been carefully filled in with small stones. I am uncertain as to
name of the Townland on which it stands.
Gray, Journ. R.H.A.A.I. (i883-«4), vol. vi., 4th Scr., p. 362.
Fig. 247.—** The Cloughogan," Ballygilbert Hill. Etched from sketch ly Mr. Gray,
In the Barony of Kilconway.
I, 2. In the Townland of Craigs, and Parish of Finvoy, is a
dolmen called *' The Broadstone," and marked Cromleac in Ord.
Fig. 248.— Craigs (i) **The Broadstone." Etched front a drawing by Mr, Gray.
Surv. Map No. 22, about 3 miles W. of the River Bann. The
second dolmen is half a mile W. of this one, in a cultivated field
close to the public road, and one mile E. of the Presbyterian
church of Finvoy.
(i) This dolmen is one of those in which the roofing-stone has been poised on
comparatively slim supports. In its present state, however, it is a restoration. The
covering-stone measures 10 feet long by 8 feet 6 ins. wide, and i foot 6 ins. thick.
In Miss Stokes's MS. " Notes,*' mention is made of five pillar-stones, each 5 feet
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County of Antrim. 265
high, with three other pillar-stones to the N., and the remains of a stone circle to
the W. and S.K, measuring 43 feet in diameter. In Lewis's " Topog. Dictionary,'*
the monument is described as composed of hard black stone. It is added that
between the upright stones was an entrance to a chamber underneath, which
communicated with two other chambers, the whole being within a circle, 45 feet
in diameter.
After this dolmen had been thrown down, during the celebration of games
there, it was re-erected on its present three supporters. " Adjoining the cromlech
proper," says Mr. Gray, " there are the remains of three or four circular chambers,
and the group of stones composing the cromlech and chambers is again surrounded
by two concentric stone circles, the outer circle being about 100 feet in diameter,
Fig. 249. — Craigs (2). Etched from a drcewing by Mr, Gray,
and the inner 50 feet Very little," he adds, " now remains to mark the outline
of the circle." He thinks that "the sepulchral character of the monument is
proved by the finding of cinerary urns in the round chambers."
(2) The second Craigs, or Finvoy dolmen, is in a good state of preservation.
Eight long upright stones standmg close together form the chamber. The
covering-stone rests on seven of these uprights. It measures 8 feet by 5 feet
6 ins. Two other stones lie prostrate. The form of the chamber is a well-marked
oval, the major axis of which runs E.N.E., and W.S.W. This dolmen was
" formerly almost covered with earth, the cap-stone alone being exposed." During
the removal of the earth from around it, the chamber was explore;^, and a cinerary
urn discovered within.
Dublin Penny yournal, vol. ii. p. 301; "Guide to Belfast," p. loi ; MS. " Notes " in the
possession of Miss M. Stokes ; Lewis's " Topog. Diet, of Ireland," Par. Finvoy ; Joum.
R.H.A. A.I. (1883-84), vol. vi., 4th Sen, pp. 361-362.
3. In the Townland of Dunloy, and Parish of Finvoy, near
a Fort, is a dolmen marked Giants Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 22. It lies about 2 miles N.E. of that at Craigs.
In the Barony of Antrim Lower.
I. 2, 3. In the Townland of Ticloy, and Parish of Skerry,
are two dolmens not marked in the Ord. Surv. Map No. 29.
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266 The Dolmens of Ireland.
The following account of these two dolmens is taken from the " Ord. Surv.
Memoirs," in the Royal Irish Academy. It is under the head of the ** Parish of
Skerry," and is by F. Stokes : " In the Townland of Ticloy, and near the foot of
a range of hills, there is a remarkable monument called the Stone House {i.e. Ticloy
Fig. 250. —Ticloy. Etched from a photograph.
Englished), It is formed of great blocks of the rock common in that part of the
country, so arranged as to form a cell, the whole being covered with canopy stones
as a roof. It stands at the eastern end of a long, rectangular platform, which is
raised about 2 feet above the level of the surrounding field. There is throughout
a bed of stones varying in size from a common paving-stone to blocks as large as
those with which the monument is built.
" On the western side there is a second Stone House. It is lower than the first,
the stones being at an average but 2 feet above the ground, and it also wants a
roof. Attached to it there is another platform of stones, having the same average
altitude above the level of the field.
" In one of the stone dykes of the same field there is a large block of stone,
originally found lying near the second monument Its dimensions are : length,
6 feet ; breadth, 3 feet ; and thickness from i foot to i foot 6 ins. Its form is
regular. It evidently had been once the covering-stone for it, or a stone intended
to have been such. The tenant relates that before it was removed to the dyke,
it had stood time out of mind close to the eastern side of the " House," It
rested on its edge, and was propped up by small stones, so as to form an angle
of 45° with the horizon."
The chamber of the larger dolmen measures about 4 feet square, and 5 feet
high. The entrance is about 6 feet high, and from 18 to 20 inches wide. The
entrance presents the feature so common in these dolmens of two jambs support-
ing one end of the roof, and giving the structure a porch-like appearance. The
main covering-stone not being of sufficient dimensions to close in the cist at the
top, a second and supplementary one has been added. I was informed that a
former tenant of the farm had dug into the cist, when bones of a large size, thought
to be those of an animal, were found. When I visited it the roof was covered with
stones, thrown there, so I was informed, not by mere accident, but in accordance
with some dimly remembered superstition.
On the heath above these dolmens is a stone circle enclosing a chamber
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County of Antrim.
267
measuring 6 feet by 5 feet, and having an avenue, or passage, at one end, measuring
6 feet by 2 feet.
"Ord. Surv. Memoirs," R. I. A., Parish of Skerry; Joum. R.H.A.A.I. (1883-84), vol. vi.,
4th Ser., p. 178, and photograph, and pp. 361, 363; '•Guide lo Belfast,*' pp. 20i, 202, 208;
VV. C. B., Note-book, i888.
4. In the Parish of Connor, there is a dolmen not marked in
Fig. 251.— Connor, in the Parish of. From Ord. Surv. Sketches in RJ.A,
the Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 37, 38, 43, 44, which include the
Parish.
There is a sketch of a dolmen stated to be in this Parish, but no Townland
name appended, in the "Ord. Surv. Sketches" in the Royal Irish Academy. It
appears from this to consist of only three stones, namely, two side flags on edge,
and one long incumbent block overlapping at one end. The sketch shows it to be
exceedingly like the dolmen at Loiighmoney, in the Parish of Saul, and County
of Down.
Loc. cU,
In the Barony of Glen arm Upper.
I. In the Townland of Headwood, and Parish of Kilwaughter,
at Carndoo, is a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 40.
It is situated " on the face of Ballybooley Hill, a quarter of a
mile W. of the brow ;" "seven miles S.W. of Larne, near where
the new road from Larne to Bally mena passes over Shane's Hill ; "
" in a small glen near the E. boundary of the Townland of Bally-
booley ; '* " a mile N.E. of the site of the ' Hunting Carn.' " The
fertile valley of Six Mile Water, or River of Rushes, lies below
the hill on which this monument is.
This monument is described as " an irregular circle of high stones inclosing a
space occupied by six large upright stones disposed in pairs, and supporting two
blocks above 5 feet long, and from 2 to 3 feet square, laid horizontally upon them.''
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
Mr. Kinahan gives a plan of the dolmen, not including any remains there might
have been of the surrounding circle. He states that in 1874 there only remained
the kistvaen and a few large stones, some lying, others standing. " The kistvaeni^ he
adds, '* was rudely built, and seemed to consist of eight stones, six standing, with
two horizontal ones that rested on four of the others, the two standing-stones at the
S. end forming a sort of doorway, but the N. end of the kistvaen was also open. A
little to the N.E. of the kistvaen was a square standing-stone, while to the K of it
was a large horizontal stone, said to cover bones." In a field immediately W. of the
cam, a stone was dug up, having markings on it, described as a network of irregular
rectilinear scorings.
In the neighbourhood of this cam, with its circle and dolmen, are other cams,
e.g, Camlea^ i.e. the Grey Cam ; Carn Maccail^ or the White Carn^ in which a
closed cist and urn were found ; the Hunting Cam^ and Carninard.
M S. " Notes on Dolmens," by Miss M. Stokes ; " Guide to Belfast,*' p. 206 ; Joum. R.H.A. A. L
(1874), 4th Ser., vol. iii. p. 377.
In the Barony of Belfast Lower.
I. In the Townland of Ballygowan (?), and Parish of Raloo,
Fig. 252. — Ballygowan, ** Ceannorth*s Wa's." From an original sketch in the collection oj
Miss M. Stokes,
is a dolmen called CeanortJis Was, not marked in Ord. Surv.
Maps Nos. 40 or 46.
A rough drawing of this monument is contained in the Dublin Penny Journal,
In the description which accompanies it, sixteen pillar-stones are mentioned as
standing, and it is added that there were probably thirty. Those that were
standing measured 4 feet 6 ins. above ground. A roofing-stone is also noticed,
measuring 6 feet long, and 4 feet 6 ins. wide. To the N. were two rows of stones,
16 inches asunder.
In 1829 some stones on the K side were removed, when " white ashes were
found, and decayed bone, which fell into dust when exposed to the air." When,
also, a trench in the neighbourhood was opened, *' stone hatchets and flint arrow-
heads were found."
Dublin Penny Journal, vol. ii. p. loi.
2. In the Townland of Craigarogan, and Parish of Temple-
patrick, is a dolmen marked Granny s Grave in Ord. Surv. Map
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County of Antrim. 269
No. 51. This Parish includes the ancient Parish of Carn-
Graney, and the land on which the dolmen stands is sometimes
called Ballycarngrainey.
Dubourdieu speaks of this "cromlech*' as most remarkable, having twelve
stones ranged from S.E. to N.W., the western one nearly 7 feet high. That to
the E. was nearly level with the ground. " It is further to be observed/' he says,
Fig. 253. — Craigarogan (Ballycairngrainey). From an original drawing in the possession of
Miss M. Stokes.
*'that the upper, or flat, stones composing this Cairn^ or Heap of the Sun, are
each supported by three upright stones in the same manner that the single
cromlechs are."
In the ** Guide to Belfast " it is thus described, under the name of Roughfort, a
rath, or tumulus, giving name to a hamlet in the Townland, to the W. of which is
the old churchyard and ruined church of Carngraney : " It was formed of tliirty-
seven stones, forming a chamber about. 40 feet long, covered by nine of the largest
blocks. One block at the end of the chamber is perched on the chamber-stones
beneath it ; and being very large (6 feet long, 5 feet 6 ins. broad, and 3 feet 6 ins.
thick), it would be considered a very good cromlech if the other portion of the
monument was removed."
The covering-stone weighs about eight tons.
Dr. Reeves speaks thus of it : '* It consists of ten large slabs raised on side
supporters, like a series of cromlechs, forming steps, commencing with the lowest at
the N.E., and ascending gradually for the length of 40 feet towards the S.W. The
largest stone is raised about 7 or 8 feet. It measures 6 feet 9 ins. long, 5 feet
broad, and 2 feet thick. The smallest, which is on the ground, measures 5 feet
long, and 3 feet 3 ins. broad. The proprietor stated that formerly it was
encompassed by a circle of upright stones." Its similarity to such monuments as
that at Blacklion in Cavan is unmistakable.
Miss Stokes's collection of drawings of dolmens includes a pencil sketch of this
monument, and there is also an illustration of it in Mr. Gray's Paper on the
Dolmens of Down and Antrim,
"Stat. Survey of the County of Antrim," by the Rev. J. Dubourdieu, p. 581; ** Eccles.
Antiquities of Down, Connor, and Dromore," by the Rev. W. Reeves, p. 66 n. ; "Guide to
Belfast,*' p. 206 ; Journ. R.H.A.A.I. (1883-84), 4th Sen, vol. vi. p. 359, and pi. i., No. 3 ;
Collection of drawings in the possession of Miss Stokes.
3. In the Townland of Ballylumford, als. Bally umpage, in the
Island and Parish of Island Magee, is a dolmen marked Druid's
Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 41.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
The cap-stone, which is about 6 feet long, covers a chamber formed of three
blocks of stone, standing on end, on which it rests.
In 1832 this monimient was described as surrounded by six stones. Three
supporting-slabs remain, bearing up the covering-stone, which measures 6 feet
long and 6 feet broad at one end. There is a flat stone on the floor of the
cist, and formerly there were six upright stones outside the monument to the N.,
and two to the S., measuring 3 feet in height This dolmen is one of those which,
Fig. 254.— Ballylumford, Island Magee.
viewed from the open side, present the appearance of gateways or porticos. It was
clearly in early times a monument of more imposing appearance than it is now,
being surrounded by other stones, possibly a complete circle. "Early in the
present century a number of gold ornaments were found in the immediate vicinity
of the cromlech, and worked flints may still be found," adds Mr. Gray, " on the
surface of the sloping ground towards the lough." The gold ornaments, found in
1824, included a gold spiral ornament, portions of a gold torque, and golden
** baughs." They were found in a field near the dolmen.
"Guide to Belfast," p. 202 ; Journ. R.K.A.A.L (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. p. 362 ; Dublin
Penny Jmmal^ vol. i. (1832), p. 209; W. C. B., Note-book, 1892.
In the Barony of Antrim Upper.
I. In the Townland of Drumagorgan, and Parish of Done-
gore, within about three miles of Antrim, to the N.E. of that
town, and one mile N.W. of Donegore Church, is a dolmen
called " The Giant s Grave," not marked in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 50.
This monument consisted, until its overthrow, of a covering-stone about 6 feet
square, resting on some smaller stones sunk in the ground. Its fall was brought
about early in this century by an antiquarian who, wishing to test the truth of a
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County of Antrim.
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tradition that a chieftain had been buried there, dug below it, and discovered
remains which convinced him that a burial had taken place.
"Guide to Belfast," p. 202 ; Journ. R.H.A.A.T. (1883-84), 4th Scr., vol. vi. p. 363.
2. In the Townland of Moyadam, and Parish of Grange-of-
Nilteen, is a dolmen marked
Druid's Altar in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 51.
In the "Ord. Surv. Sketches,"
in the R.I.A., is the plan of a
dolmen-circle at this place. The
dolmen itself, in the centre, is 5 feet
high. The encircling stones, num-
bering twenty, range from i foot to
6 feet 4 ins. in height.
Loc, ciL, P* 15*
In the Barony of Mas-
SAREENE Upper. ^ „ ^ ^ .x ^ ^ c c/ . z
Fig. 255. — Moyadam. From the Ord, Surv. Sketches
I. In the Townland of inR.I.A, (The figures od the stones indicate their
^ , , . J n • 1 f respective heights.)
Carnlougherm, and Parish of
Magheramesk, to the N. of the River Lagan, about 6 miles E.
of the S. extremity of Lough Neagh, not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 67.
A notice of this dolmen, destroyed before the year 1835, will be found in the
Dublin Penny Journal of that date. It is described as " one of those stones
supposed to be a Druid's Altar, which had fallen from its supporters. The
proprietor of the field in which it lay, considering it an incumbrance, resolved .
to remove it. . . . When undermining, close to the side of the stone, for the
purpose of burying it — the usual mode of clearing land of these unwieldy
impediments to the plough — at the depth of nearly 5 feet, the two workmen
engaged on the job turned up three beautiful crescents of fine gold. They were
rolled together like so many pieces of paper; yet such was their flexibility that
the unrolling did not in any way injure them." They are described as "finely
curved, and of great breadth in the centre, diminishing gradually towards the
extremities, near which they suddenly turned ofif, terminating with a circular
piece, the size of a shilling. On one side only the edges [? flat surface] were
ornamented with a border of rather incorrect zigzag lines. One of them weighed
44 ounces.'*
The names of the parties who found these are given, and the communication
is signed : " John Royan, junior," and dated from the " Constabulary, Hilltown,
Nov. 1 2th, 1835."
Dublin Penny Journal^ 1835-36, p. 295.
In the Barony of Dunluce Lower.
I. In the Townland of Revallagh, and Parish of Ballyrashane,
is a dolmen marked Druid's Altar in Ord. Surv. Map No. 6.
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This must be the one noticed in the ** Guide to Belfast," as lying
between Ballyhome, which is the adjoining Townland to the
N.W., and Beardiville, the adjoining Townland to the S.W. It
is locally called " Gig-ma-Gog's Grave."
One of the covering-stoDes is 8 feet long, 3 feet 6 ins. wide, and 2 feet 6 ins.
thick ; another 5 feet 6 ins. long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet thick.
*• Guide to Belfast," pp. 205, 206.
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< 273 )
COUNTY OF DOWN.
In the Barony of Castlereagh Lower.
I. In the Townland of Greengraves, and Parish of New-
townards, a mile and a half E. of Dundonald, and S. of the road
from Belfast to Newtownards, is a dolmen marked Camp Stone,
Fig. 256.— Greengraves, "The Kempe Stone." Etched from a photograph,
in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5, but called locally ** Kempe Stone." It
is in a locality formerly called BallyclochtogalL
In point of constniction this dolmen is somewhat similar to that at Bally-
nageeragh and others in the County of Waterford. The roofing-stone slopes
downward from the summits of two pillars until it rests, not on an upright, but
on a flat stone, which, protruding from beneath it externally, forms a sort of
step, by standing upon which, a person can readily ascend the sloping upper surface
of the covering-stone.
The pillar-stones upon which it rests at the higher end measure 5 feet high.
The vault beneath, each of the sides of which consists of a single flagstone on edge,
lies £. and W. The porch-like appearance which the jamb-like pillars supporting
the roof produce, is very marked in the case of this monument
"The group of stones composing the monument," writes Mr. Gray, " occupy a
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274 The Dolmens of Ireland.
space of 12 feet by 8 feet, and stand lo feet high to the E., and 6 feet to the W.
The chamber measures 5 feet long, 5 feet wide at the £• end, and 3 feet wide at the
W. This chamber is formed of six blocks of stone. The eastern blocks are
upright, and the side blocks are on edge, 8 and 7 feet long respectively, the ca]>
stone measuring 8 feet 6 ins. long, 7 feet wide, and, on an average, 3 feet 6 ins.
thick. The block must weigh about 17 tons. It is thinnest at the W. end."
"Apart from the monument itself there are scattered all round the vicinity
large blocks of stone. Many of them have been built into, and now form part
of the boundary hedge. Their distribution and character indicate that they are
the remains of some dismantled megalithic monument of very considerable
importance."
The interior of the cist was excavated and explored about the year 1830, by
men employed by Mr. Cieland, agent of the Marquis of Londonderry, when
human bones were found.
Dublin Penny Journal^ vol. ii. p. 293; "Guide to Belfast," p. 202; Joum. R.H.A.A.L
(1883-84), vol. vi. p. 364; W. C. B., Note-book, 1892.
2. In the Townland of Scrabo, on the mountain of the same
name, in the Parish of Newtownards, on the N.E. shore of the
northern reach of Strangford Lough, is a dolmen in a cairn, not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 5. The cairn has been known
from time immemorial as the ** Giant's Grave."
This monument is a cairn enclosing an incomplete or dismantled dolmen. Mr.
Robert MacAdam has given the following account of its exploration : *' The base
of the mountain was probably once washed by the sea, though now it is nearly half
a mile distant from high-water mark. The outer face of the mountain presents a
nearly perpendicular precipice towards the top, while the lower part slopes rapidly
to the base. On the upper part of this slope, the cairn, which is described as
having been * of vast size,' was placed. It was formed chiefly of small stones,
and occupied nearly a rood of ground, measuring each way about thirty yards "...
On the farmer's commencing to remove it, after he had carried away immense
quantities of small stones collected originally from the lower ground, he " came
upon a number of great blocks of stone placed so as to enclose a space of regular
form — namely, an elongated square, 5 feet long and about 3 feet wide. Four of
the blocks were of especially large size, being sunk 3 feet in the ground, and
projecting upwards of 5 feet above it. Three of these formed the one end of the
parallelogram at the more elevated side of the cairn, while the fourth was placed at
the other extremity, the remaining portions of the enclosure being completed by a
number of stones of less dimensions, but still of considerable size. The roof of
the enclosed space consisted merely of large stones, thrown on without any
apparent regularity.
" In the centre of this area was a quantity of charred bones, collected in a pile,
among which the farmer detected a thigh-bone and a collar-bone. A pelvis was
also recognized, and it was thought that the bones were of unusually large size.
Surrounding the bones, but not mixed with them, was a quantity of wood charcoal
mixed with earth. In the midst of this was found the lower portion of an earthen
vessel, of reddish burnt clay, about the size and shape of a large saucer, with
rounded bottom. The upper edges being broken showed that it had been deeper
when whole. Its exterior was ornamented with something like flowers," says Mr.
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County of Down.
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MacAdam, " in relief. The floor beneath was rudely p^ved. Immediately outside
the enclosure was found a small clay smoking-pipe 1 The stones which covered the
space enclosed were not so large but that they could be lifted by a number of
men, without mechanical appliances ; but lying on the ground immediately below
the lower end of the area was an enormous slab of from 20 to 30 tons weight.
"In superficial size, it was amply sufficient to cover in the enclosure, and
possibly it was intended for this purpose. Whether it was beyond the power of
the constructors to place it in its proper position, or whether it had once formed
the covering, and been afterwards removed, and had slid downwards when some
sacrilegious hands ransacked the ancient grave, must be a matter of conjecture.
*' At the lower end of this great slab furthest from the enclosure, and lying level
with its under edge, was discovered a quantity of thin silver coins, all lying together
on the ground, and carefully covered up with a number of stones.
'' AU these objects, the sepulchral chamber and its contents, the large slab, the
silver coins^ and the pipe, were completely enclosed within the body of the cairn
which extended considerably beyond and above them."
The coins, of which Mr. MacAdam gives illustrations of nine examples, were
submitted to Mr. Carruthers, who pronounced them to be Danish, or Hibemo-
Danish; and, with two doubtful exceptions, they belonged to the ninth century.
From their position in the tumulus, it is clear that they were hidden there at a
date long subsequent to the erection of the chamber. The pipe is one of that class
belonging to the close of the sixteenth and to the seventeenth century, specimens of
which have so frequently puzzled antiquarians.
" Ulster Journ. of Archaeology," vol. iii. p. 15.
In the Barony of Castlereagh Upper.
I, 2. In the Townland of Bally nahatty, and Parish of Drumbo, is
a dolmen marked Giant's Ring, Cromlech, in Ord. Surv. Map No. 9.
Fig. 2«;7.— Ballynahatty, ** The Giant's Ring." Etched from a photograph {taken from a picture)
^' ^ by Mr. R. WeUh.
In the adjoining field was a chambered structure, not marked in
the map. The site of this Townland is on the Lagan River.
This most interesting dolmen stands within the radius, but not quite in the
centre, of a very fine rath, or single circular embankment of earth. A ground-plan
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276
The Dolmens of Ireland.
of this earthwork and monument will be found among the Ordnance Survey Sketches
in the Royal Irish Academy.
Of this dolmen, Harris, in his "Ancient and Present State of the County of
Down,'* p. 200 (Dublin, 1744), says: "It dififers somewhat from other monuments
of the same class, consisting of a huge rude upper-stone unwrought, almost circular,
being 7 feet i inch one way, and 6 feet 1 1 inches the other. It is nearly 2 feet thick
at a medium, but swelling both in the upper and under surface. Two ranges of
rude pillars support it, each consisting of seven, and round it, at about 4 feet
distance, are several fixed stones, not above 2 feet high.'*
Dubourdieu gives the measures of the incumbent stone as 7 feet by 6 feet 6 ins.,
and adds that the supporters were from 2 feet to 3 feet 6 ins. high, the covering-
stone forming an inclined plane.
Since Harris wrote his account — which plainly indicates what the monument was
(namely, a dolmen-elongee surrounded by a circle, or oval, like the Leaba Callighe in
Cork, and elsewhere)— it seems to have suffered rough handling.
Fig. 258.— Ballynahatty, in the " Giant's Ring."
A writer in the Dublin Penny Journal (1834-35), who gives a picture of the
structure, says : " This cromlech is either very erroneously described by Mr. Harris,
or its appearance has greatly altered since the year 1744. We are informed by him
that ' two ranges of pillars,' each consisting of seven, support this monstrous rock,
beside which there are several other stones fixed upright in the ground at a distance
of about 4 feet Of these latter there remains but one. The upper stone at
present rests upon four, and not upon fourteen supporters. The entire number
which compose the * altar* is only ten ; and, though it is probable that several may
have fallen down, or in some manner changed their position, it is inconceivable
how so great a disproportion as the two accounts present could ever be reconciled.*'
In this view, namely that Harris was inaccurate, I disagree, firstly, because the
monument he describes is so exactly what I should have expected it to have been
from the present ruins, and, secondly, because, in an agricultural country like this,
with stones required for gateposts and houses not far off, it is so easy to account for
the removal of the outer ring as well as some of the fabric of the vault
A good idea of the structure in its present condition may be obtained from the
accompanying illustration taken from a photograph.
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County of Down. 277
There appear to have been two covering-stones, one of which has fallen owing
to the removal of side ones, while the other, 7 feet long by 6 feet 6 ins. broad, has
been tilted out of the horizontal. There are pit-holes in the upper surface of this
stone, but they are, I think, natural.
The vallum, or rampart, which has been raised around the level area in which
this dolmen was placed, is, as will be observed by reference to the drawing (p. 275),
not carried round at an equal height, but is traversed or broken through at various
points by depressions or entrances, five of which at least seem to have been pur-
posely formed at the time when the bank was raised, two others being possibly (as
it appeared to me, but I make no point of this) of more recent date. The ring
measures 580 feet in diameter. The base of the mound is in some places 80 feet
wide, narrowing to a platform a quarter that width at the top, and, as I think,
shows traces of a lower platform, or tier, having once existed on the inner side below
the higher and external ledge or parapet of the rampart In this case the original
plan would have been that of a gigantic amphitheatre.
The position of this earthwork on an eminence above the river Lagan, and
commanding a fine prospect in every direction, would, doubtless, if we saw other
reasons for regarding it as a military work, be one of great strategical importance,
lying as it does between Belfast Lough on the N.E., and the old capital of Emain
on the S.W.
It appears to me, however, to be a question whether this can be regarded as a
military work at all In the first place, it differs from the ordinary duns and roths
in having a single instead of a double or triple external wall, and in having, in
addition to that, no moat In the second place, had it been a fortification, its wall
would have been carried continuously around the area enclosed, unless some
natural defence such as a cliff presented itself, which is not the case here. The
means of ingress and egress would have been restricted to a single gallery forming
a tunnel through the vallum ; or, if there were more than one, the passages would be
narrow and flanked by high banks, and outer breastwork, no trace of which is to
be found here. In the third place, as if in proof of the original intention of those
who raised it, the area within it, — the space, that is to say, around the dolmen and
between it and the mound, — was, within the memory of extant writers, used as a
racecourse^ a fact which seemingly points to a survival of the fair, or celebration of
funeral games, in which racing bore the principal part, which once would have been
held periodically in the ** ring." In the fourth pla<5e, if we regard its purpose as
civil and not military, we furnish ourselves with an explanation of the meaning of
the several entrances, since we have the analogous case of Tara (Temhair), the great
place of assembly in Meath, which was approached by roads converging on it from
various directions, and by which the chieftains, coming respectively from their
provinces situated at different points of the compass, gathered together at the
common place of rendezvous. That such assemblies were connected with religious
rites cannot be doubted, nor is it at all unlikely that the central space in the ring
was occupied by a wooden temple abutting on the tomb, which latter was perhaps
covered by a tumulus, in which dwelt the sidhe^ or spirits of the dead, who were
certainly worshipped by the ancient Irish. That a vdlum of earth or a stone wall
surrounded such temples, which in time of need could be used for defensive
purposes, is also certain, as witness the temple at Arcona in Riigen described by
Saxo Grammaticus.
To a like purpose, civil and not military, I should be inclined to assign the
somewhat similar vallum known as '' Arthur's Round Table," in Cumberland, and
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278 The Dolmens of Ireland.
also that which surrounds the megalithic remains at Abury in Wiltshire, which, in
the ground-plan of the whole, bears a great similarity to that of the Rath-na-Riogh,
at Temhair. As a second example of a vallum, or rath, surrounding a dolmen, the
Leacht-an-Scail, in the county of Kilkenny, may be quoted, although the bank or
ring has in that case been carried away.
It is, perhaps, not inapposite to mention certain Valiums, a few of which are still
in existence in the county of Cornwall, the inner faces of which were levelled out
into tiers, or seats, where the inhabitants congregated, before the Reformation, to
witness the Miracle Plays, which the Christians provided in place of the Pagan games
which preceded them. The ** Perran Round " is a good example of one of these.
It was somewhat oval in form, and provided with an entrance at either end. Plainly
there was nothing military about it, and as there was certainly nothing essentially
Christian about it, the custom which prompted its construction was probably a relic
of Pagan times— the barbarian reflex of the Roman amphitheatre.
I cannot pass away from noticing this earthwork without remarking upon the
close similarity it bears to some of the so-called ** Mound-builders' " works in Ohio.
One at Fort Ancient, which I visited in 1874, though enclosing a larger area, is a
counterpart of this vallum in respect of the gaps or spaces which have been left
between the several portions of the circle. These American enclosures were
evidently formed for the performance of some ancient and obsolete rites. The race
who raised them has passed away, but the ramparts themselves contain the bodies
of their dead, inhumated beneath flat stones. Stone implements, and pipes of
exceUent workmanship, and often curiously designed and finely polished, are found
in and around these areas, in which I cannot doubt that the tribes once assembled,
to hold, perhaps, like the Chinese and Japanese, a periodical spirit-festival, not
unanalogous, as I think, to that which was known as Samhain among the ancient
Irish. What follows will convince the reader that the Giant's Ring was the centre
of rites connected with sepulture.
In the Ulster Journal of Archaeology will be found the foUowbg account of a
very remarkable sepulchral structure found at Ballynehatty, and of its contents : —
'' The chamber was subterraneous, and consisted of a circular space, 7 feet in
diameter, enclosed to a height of about 2 feet by a wall of large irregular blocks
of weather-worn stones from 2 to 3 feet long, their faces inclining considerably
inwards, and their interstices closely wedged up with slate-like fragments of stone.
Facing the east, an opening about 2 feet wide had been left for an entrance \ and
within, Ave irregularly shaped flags, from 20 to 24 inches high, and of various
breadth and thickness, were placed on end, their edges projecting towards the
centre, thereby dividing the circumference of the floor into six irregular com-
partments.t These were raised somewhat above the general level of the floor,
and separated from the central portion by a ledge of rough flags set edgewise
in the ground, above which they projected from 3 to 4 mches. The remainder
of the floor was somewhat concave, and the whole flagged with irregularly shaped
stones, adjusted to each other with considerable care. A sixth upright stone,
similar to those which divided the circumference into compartments, stood upon
the flagged floor, and may have been employed to support the roof while in pro-
gress of construction.
" The structure was covered with large quarried flagstones, resting upon the wall,
the perpendicular uprights, and each other, gradually projecting towards the centre,
t See ground-plan and elevation of a Hiinenschloss similar in plan, *'Neaes Lausitzisches
Mag.,'' vol. Ivii., pi. facing p. 466.
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County of Down. 279
and secured, where requisite, by careful pinning up with thin stones. The height
of the chamber in the centre was 3 feet, and the upper surface of the covering flags
lay 18 inches below the level of the field. Consequently, the ground must have
been excavated to a depth of at least 5 feet for its construction. Although a portion
of the roof was the first part removed, the entrance is stated to have been closed
with flags in such a manner as would have permitted their removal without injury
to the rest of the structure, and the whole appears to have been enclosed and
covered with small stones, as though at one time it had formed the centre of a cairn.
" In the compartment A and B, as shown in the plan,t to the left of the entrance,
were found three urns of burnt clay (i, 2 and 3), filled with burnt bones. They
were embedded in loose soil, and, as seen tn situ^ appeared to be about 12 inches
high by 10 inches broad. Nothing but Augments of them could be preserved.
''The ornamentation was of three diflerent characters, and of the rudest
description. There was probably a fourth urn at the spot marked 4, as a quantity
of dark, half-burnt earth, mixed with bones, was found there, but no fragment of
sufi[icient size to establish this beyond a doubt The compartment C was vacant ;
D contained some few burnt bones, and (resting upon them and buried in sand
quite dissimilar to the material in which the urns lay) two tolerably perfect skulls,
and sufiScient fragments to prove that five skulls, or, at least, portions of five, had
been there deposited. In the same compartment were found three unbumt human
ribs and a humerus ; also part of the pelvis of a small cow, and a few fragments of
the bones of a sheep or goat, likewise unbumt £ and F contained large quantities
of burnt bones, divided into several parcels by thin stones. No implement or
ornament of any kind was found in or about the spot, nor was there any ornament
or inscription on the stones of which the place was constructed. Amongst the
burnt bones, contained both in the urns and in the recesses £ and F, were
numerous fragments of skulls, clearly proving that the unbumt craqia could not
possibly have been portions of the individuals by whose burnt remains they were
surrounded. From the position occupied by the three undisturbed loose jaws, the
heads had evidently been deposited upon their bases, with their faces to the West,
no portion whatever of the tmnk having been deposited with them. Unfortunately,
but two crania at all available for the purposes of science were rescued from
destraction ; and in these the lower jaw of one is absent altogether, and that of the
other is very much broken. Both skulls are, apparently, those of females, from
twenty to twenty-five years of age. They are exceedingly small, long, low, and
narrow, their greatest circumference being only 20 inches, and their measurements
by the craniometer being below any that have previously come under the observation
of Mr. Grattan, the writer of the paper from which I quote.
" Though so exceedingly low, the coronal region is, nevertheless, pretty full and
rounded; indeed, in No. 2, well and gracefully arched. In both the anterior
portion is proportionately short, and the posterior long, the preponderating volume
being posterior to the opening of the ears, in this respect exceeding in absolute
measurement several crania greatly their superiors in size. The nasal bones are
defective, but would appear to have been somewhat prominent The cheek-bones
are large, prominent, projecting outwards below ; the cavities for the eyes large,
with an outward and downward inclination. In one skull the jaws are rather
prominent ; the under one long, very slight, and shallow. At death the teeth must
have been complete, but many have dropped out of their sockets. Such as remain
are remarkably sound, somewhat wom down in the case of one, especially in the
t See the plan in Part IV. of this work, infra.
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lower jaw ; but scarcely any in that of the other. In each the wisdom teeth have
not quite attained the elevation of the molars. The sutures are strongly marked ;
the zygomatic arches, as far as can be inferred, moderately prominent; and the
mastoid processes small and feebly developed. One appears to have a large frontal
sinus, to which is due its excess of prominence at zero over the other; whereas
the latter progressively ascends from that point, ranging considerably above the
former throughout the whole coronal region, exhibiting in every respect a finer and
more elevated specimen of the same typcf
** The remaining cranial fragments are, a large, massive, powerful male jaw, the
teeth considerably worn down, but not more than would indicate middle age ; the
upper and portion of the lower jaw of a middle-aged female ; these, with the two
more perfect crania, making up the full number of five, already stated to have been
either wholly or in part deposited in this remarkable sepulchral chamber.
^* On various occasions indications of extensive interments have been discovered
throughout this same piece of ground, vast quantities of human bones having been
turned up by the plough, especially near the dwelling-house of the farmer.
" In the boundary fence of the Giant's Ring is an enormous stone. Very near
this spot there were taken up in the field, a little below the surface, many cartloads
of human bones. On the site of the dwelling-house itself, which is not many
perches distant, was a mound which, on being removed, disclosed several short
stone coffins (? cists) and burnt bones.
** In several parts of the same field similar coffins (cists) were found subsequently,
all formed of stone slabs, and having a slab at the bottom and one as a lid. These
in most cases contained urns, and all were shorter than a man. In one of the urns
was found a skull by Mr. Bedel (the farmer) himself; and in each of two others,
bones and a stone implement One of these was described as ' a black stone,
6 inches long, knobbed at each end and hollowed between, with a small hole
passing through the centre of the immediate stem.' From the description of this
stone we gather that it corresponded as nearly as possible with a stone figured in
the Kilkenny Archaeological Journal (1870-71), which was kept in the mortice of
a broken cross, and called the * Healing-stone ' of St ConalL It measured
5 inches long, was knobbed at each end (like a miniature dumb-bell) and had three
little cavities sunk in the intermediate stem. The paper in which it is noticed
is by Mr. Patterson, of Belfast
"The other stone found in the other urn was a yellow stone, tapering at each
end, almost resembling in shape and size a gimlet head, and pierced in like manner
in the centre with a small hole. In another urn, along with the usual burnt bones,
were two flint arrow-heads. Occasionally stone axes have been found in the field.
At one extremity of it, furthest from the house, there was a spot several perches in
extent, on which the vegetation was observed to be always bad. On digging it up
it was found, for several feet deep, to consist of a peculiar dark-coloured and soapy
mould, and intermixed with it were observed a number of red stones, presenting
the appearance of having been discoloured by strong heat Near this spot was a
small mound, which, on being removed, was found to contain three very lazge stones
placed on end, and sloping towards each other at the top. Underneath this
enclosure was found an urn and a quantity of small bones." (See an enclosure
formed by sloping stones protecting a cist with urn in Christian Detlev Rhode's
" Cimbrisch Hollsteinische Remarques," p. 33.)
t Mr. Grattan's delineations of these skulls are reproduced in the ethnological portion of this
work. yid€ infra.
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*' In the same part of the field were found four rings made of a black light
substance like jet, the largest about 4 inches in diameter, and the other three
smaller, in regular succession, the whole of them fitting exactly one within the
other, so that when thus placed they represented the appearance of a circular
grooved disc.
" In one part of the field there stood a pillar which was buried in clearing the
ground. Stone coffins (cists) and urns, like those found in this field, have been
found at different times in the adjoining lands held by three several farmers, and
there was at least one other chambered structure such as that above described."
In a book entitled, "A Tour in Ireland in 1779," published in Dublin in the
following year, it is stated that *' contiguous to the rath (that is, the Giant's Ring)
there was a small mount, formerly dug through to get stones for building, in the
middle of which great quantities of bones were found."
This is either another example of a sepulchral mound forming one of those of
this famous cemetery, or one of those the tradition of the discovery of which had
reached Mr. Bedel (as see above). All these notices of bone-finds go to justify the
view that in the Giant's Ring we have a centre of sepulchral and it may be
sacrificial rites, an unrecorded and prehistoric site of a great Oenach^ or Fair, the
place of Assembly of the tribes of the district for the celebration of the periodical
festivals of their cultus, which were essentially and intimately associated with the
Dead.
"Ancient and Present State of the County of Down," p. 200; *«StaL Survey of the County of
Down," by Dubourdieu, p. 273; Dublin Penny Journal (1834-35), p. 77; "Etchings of Irish
Antiquities," Anon,^ in the British Museum ; ** Ord. Surv. Sketches," in R.I.A. ; Grattan, Ulster
Joum. of Archseology, vol. iii. 358, et scgq, ; W. C. B., Note-book, 1888.
In the Barony of Ards Lower.
I. In the Townland of Mount Stewart, and Parish of Grey
^^:m»f^,
Fig. 259.— Mount Stewart.
Etched from sketch by Air, Gray,
Abbey, on the N.E. shore of Strangford Lough, was a dolmen-
cairn marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 11.
This small dolmen, or, rather, large cist, forms a connecting-link between
monuments of the former class and those entirely enclosed in cairns. It was, in
fact, the central cist in a cairn in which were sixty or seventy closed cists, in each
of the greater number of which was found an urn. It belongs, therefore, rather
to a work dealing with closed cists in tumuli, and their contents, than to this.
Journ. R.H.A.A.I. (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. pp. 364-365 J "Hist. Essay on the Parish of
Grey Abbey," by Dr. S. M. Stephenson, Belfast, 1828; ** Guide to Belfast," p. 203.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
In the Barony of Iveagh Upper.
1. In the Townland of Finnis, and Parish of Dromara, was
a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Maps Nos. 28 or 35.
Mr. Dutton, author of the " Ancient and Present State of the County of
Down " (1744), notices the existence of a " cromlech " at this place.
Loc. eit.
2. In the Townland of Legananny, and Parish of Drumgooland,
Fig. 260. — Legananny. Etched from an original drawing by Sir hew y James.
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 35. It is just to the E.
of a little lake, and N.E. of Slievenaboley.
Dubourdieu gives a drawing of this dolmen, which, he states, stands in the
Fig. 261.— Legananny (another view). From a sketch by Mr, Gray.
townland of Leganeney, and parish of Drumgoolan, "in the bosom of a mountain
towards the south." "The covering-stone," he says, "is a granite flag, 12 feet
long, shaped like a coffin, and supported by three pillars of the same, two at one
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County of Down. 283
end; the S.E. 7 feet 6 ins. in length, 2 feet thick; a third to the N.W., 4 feet
6 ins. in height, tapering to a point, on which rests the smaller end of the covering-
stone,"
In another work, "The Ancient and Present State of the County Down," 1744
(by Harris, and others), is the following notice of the same monument: "A
cromlech stands in the townland of Leganeny and parish of Drumgoolan on a
mountain called Slieve-na-boil-trough, being a part of Slieve Croob, near a small
lake lying in a valley underneath it. This is a huge gritty rock, in the shape of a
monstrous coffin, supported by three feet It is 11 feet, wanting an inch, long;
5 feet over in its broadest part, and diminishing gradually from thence to each end
in a point. It is from 18 inches to 2 feet thick. A man 6 feet 6 ins. high can
stand upright under it."
In Lewis's '' Topographical Dictionary " mention is made of a dolmen which
must be the same as this, only that it is placed in the parish of Kihnegan, and
near Castlewellan. It is stated to be on the hill called Slieve-na-boil-trough, in
the barony of Upper Iveagh. The table-stone is described as coffin-shaped, 10
feet long and 5 feet wide, and supported on three pillars, 6 feet 6 ins. from
the ground.
A drawing of it was made by Sir Henry James, which is copied in Fergusson's
" Rude Stone Monuments," and there is another in Mr. William Gray's paper on
the " Dolmens of Down and Antrim." We have here a fourth set of measure-
ments which differs from all the other three. "The covering-stone is said to
measure 11 feet 4 ins. long, by 4 feet 9 ins. wide, and to be 12 inches thick. It is
again described as ' coffin-shaped.' Of the three supports one is said to measure
7 feet in height ; the next 6 feet 2 ins. (these are those at the S. end), and the
third (that at the N. end) 4 feet 5 ins. high. This dolmen is, in its present
condition, of the slim-pillared, or milking-stool type. Urns have been found
below it."
«* Stet. Survey of the County of Down,*' by Dubourdieu, p. 272 ; "Ancient and Present State
of the County of Down," by Harris and others; Lewis, **Topog. Diet, of Ireland: Guide
to Belfast," p. 203; Journ. R.H.A.A.I. (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. p. 366; "Views of
Stonehenge, etc., including Irish Monuments," by Sir Henry James ; Fergussou, " Rude Stone
Monuments."
♦3. In the Townland of Aughnavallog, and Parish of Drum-
ballyroney, a mile and a half N. of Rathfryland, is a dolmen marked
Clochmore in Ord. Surv. Map No. 41.
Dubourdieu mentions ** remains of the cromlech class," near Rathfryland, but
I am not sure if this is a dolmen, although its name ** Clochmore'' is in several
instances applied to such structures.
** Stat Survey of the County Down," p. 273.
4. In the Townland of Drumgreenagh, and Parish of Drum-
gath, was a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 47. It is
on the road from Newry to Rathfryland.
Mr. Gray says that forty years before 1884 there was a cromlech in this
townland, which he calls Druragreen. A large cap-stone stood on three supporters.
All the stones were removed for buildings and roads.
Journ. R.H. A.A.I. (1883-84), 4th Sen, vol. vi. p. 367.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
5. In the Townland of Goward, and Parish of Clonduff, is a
dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 48. It is called
Fig. 262. — Goward, **The Cloughmore." From an original drawing in the Ord. Surv.
Sketches^ in RJ*A.
locally " Cloughmore," " Clochthogbail," and "Fin's Finger."
It is two miles from Hilltown, and five from Rathfryland.
This dolmen, which is on the mountain side, is described as "one of the
largest and best in the county." "It consists," says Mr. Gray, "of a massive cap-
stone of granite, 13 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 5 feet thick, weighing probably 50
tons, supported by a group of nine other stones, forming several chambers, the
principal chamber being 9 feet long, and 3 feet 6 ins, wide. One of the front
uprights is very slender, and stands 7 feet high, the complete monument being
fully 14 feet high."
It was stated in the locality that formerly this dolmen was enclosed by a circle
of stone blocks, or standing stones.
" Excavations have been made below the dolmen, and cinerary urns, with other
evidence of sepulture, were found in the main chamber."
In construction and general appearance this dolmen is singularly like the
Kempe Stone. It 'is said that there was once an avenue of stones running
eastward from it There is a good pencil sketch of it among the Ord. Survey
Sketches in the R.I.A., from which the above (Fig. 262) is copied.
Joum. R.H. A. A.I. (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. pp. 365, 366 ; •* Guide to Belfast," pp. 203, 204 ;
MS. "Notes on Dolmens," Miss M. Stokes.
6. In the Townland of Dromore, and Parish of Warrenpoint,
was a dolmen now destroyed. A Mound is marked in this Town-
land in Ord. Surv. Map No. 54, but no dolmen.
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County of Down.
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This dolmen was taken down many years before 1884, to supply stones for a
rockery in the garden of the Bishop's Palace.
*7. In the Townland of Rosstrevor Upper, and Parish of
Kilbroney, is an object marked Clochmore in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 54. I am uncertain whether this is a dolmen. The name
Clochmore induces the idea that it may be.
8. In the Townland of KiUowen Mountain, and Parish of
Kilbroney, by the roadside from Rosstrevor to Kilkeel, is a
dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 55. This Townland
adjoins that of Rosstrevor on the E.
The author of the " Guide to Belfast *' speaks of a good example of a kistvatn, by
which he means a dolmen of the elongated type, at this place.
" Guide to Belfast," p. 206.
9, 10. In the Townland of Kilfeaghan, and Parish of Kilbroney,
just to the W. of the Causeway Water, on the E. shore of Carling-
Fig. 263 —Kilfeaghan. From a drawing by Sir Henry James,
ford Lough, is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 55. It is on the slope of Kurckshee.
This Mr. Gray describes as ** an excellent example of a cromlech." " A block
of rounded granite, 10 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 5 feet thick, weighing probably
thirty tons, forms the cap-stone over a chamber composed of several granite blocks
on end."
" To the E. of the cromlech, and close to the bank of the river, there is another
megalithic structure, more like a kistvaen (by which Mr. Gray means a dolmen-
elongee\ and the site around has yielded several examples of stone implements/'
"Guide to Belfast," p. 204.
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286 The Dolmens of Ireland.
In the Barony of Kinelarty.
I. In the Townland of Annadorn, and Parish of Loughinisland,
Fig. 264. — Loughinisland. Etched from sketch by Mr, Gray,
close to the N. end of the lake, is a dolmen marked Cromlech
in Ord.Surv. Map No. 30.
This dolmen appears to have been dug out of a cairn. Dubourdieu says :
"This very remarkable cairn was discovered, about the year 1772, to contain
within its circumference, which is about 60 yards, and towards the bottom, a large
smooth stone, of a square figure, from 7 to 8 feet over, and supported by several
other stones about 3 feet 6 ins. high, forming underneath a kind of chamber, in
which were found ashes, and a number of bones, to appearance human. Upon the
surface of this large stone, when the smaller stones, which were pyramidically
arranged, were removed, a quantity of black ashes were found. The entrance to
this chamber was towards the N., and under several flat stones regularly disposed in
front of each other, and extending to the outside of the cairn. These stones were
removed for building purposes." This is the " Loughanisland Cromlech " of Mr.
Gray. He says it had a well-defined chamber of four large blocks of stone, with a
cap-stone measuring 8 feet by 7 feet. It had been turned over a little from its
normal position."
" Survey of the County of Down," by Dubourdieu, p. 270 ; Joum. R.H. A.A.L (1883-84), 4th
Ser., vol. vi. p. 365.
In the Barony of Legale Lower.
1. In the Townland of Loughmoney, and Parish of Bailee,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 31.
" This dolmen was, in 1884, in a good state of preservation. It stood in a field
close to the public road, a few miles E. of Downpatrick. The cap-stone, measuring
9 feet 6 ins. by 5 feet 3 ins., was supported by only two stones on edge, each
measuring 7 feet by 3 feet, forming a chamber about 2 feet 10 ins. wide, and open
at both ends."
Journ. R.H.A.A.L (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. p. 365.
2. In the Townland of Slievenagriddle, and Parish of Bailee,
not far S. of Loughmoney, was a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
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County of Down.
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Map No. 38. In the Townland of Ballyalton, which adjoins it on
the S.E., a Druidical Ring is marked. Slievenagriddle is distant
a mile and a quarter N.E. from Struell, where Patricks Chair, etc.,
-'MM
Fig. 265. — Loughmoney.
are. The dolmen is on the topmost peak of the Slievenagriddle
Mountain.
Mr. Gray speaks of this monument as '^ the prostrate remains of a once standing
cromlech." " The blocks which composed it were resting on the bare rock. The
cap-stone measured 8 feet by 6 feet, and below it were two slabs that formed the
sides of the original chamber. It is said that this cromlech was thrown down by
the officials of the Ordnance Survey I "
Harris, in the " Ancient and Present State of the County of Down," thus
describes it, making the cap-stone, which, possibly, was subsequently broken, much
larger : ** It is composed of a heavy, flat, unhewn rock, of the grit kind, in shape
like a lozenge in heraldry,'' measuring "11 feet 2 ins. from point to point, 8 feet
6 ins. broad, and from i foot 6 ins. to i foot thick. It is raised upon two rude
supporters of the same kind, placed edgeways, one of which is 8 feet long,.
3 feet broad, and i foot thick ; the other not above 3 feet long, which seems to be
a natural rock, standing in its original position. The cavity underneath is large
enough for a middle-sized man, by stooping a little, to pass through it The
supporting stones stand on a stratum of solid rock."
Dubourdieu also mentions this "stone altar," or "cromlech," giving the
dimensions of the cap-stone as " 11 feet long, 8 feet broad, and from a foot to 18
ins. in depth, standing on two supporters."
In point both of construction and position on the mountain, this monument
must have been very similar to that on Slieve Callan in Clare.
" Anc. and Pres. State of the County of Down," by Walter Harris (1744), p. 199 ; " Stat. Surv.
of the County of Down," by Rev. John Dubourdieu (1802), p. 272 ; ** Guide to Belfast," p. 203 ;
Joum. R.H. A.A.I. (1883-84), vol. vi., 4th Ser., p. 367.
In the Barony of Lecale Upper.
*i. In the Demesne of Down, and Parish of Down, to the
S. of Downpatrick, is a block of stone called Samsons Stone,
which has been noticed as a Cromlech. It is not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 38.
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288
The Dolmens of Ireland.
Mr. Gray thinks this may have been a cromlech, of the kind described by Mr.
Du Noyer as " earth-fasL" It is referred to as a " ruined cromlech " by the Rev. J.
O'Laverty.
**Hist. Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor" (Dublin, 187S-S4), vol. i. p. 252;
Joum. R.H.A.A.L (1883-84), 4th Ser., vol. vi. p. 367.
Note. — In the Townland of Dundrum, and Parish of Kilmegan,
is stated to be a dolmen, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 44.
Miss M. Stokes, in her MS. ''Notes on Dolmens," mentions a dolmen at
Dundrum. Mr. Gray does not refer to it, and I think it probable that the one at
Wateresk must be intended.
Lo€, eii. (See next.)
2. In the Townland of Wateresk, and Parish of Kilmegan
Fig. 266. — Wateresk, or Slidderyford. Etched from a photograph.
Fig. 267.— Wateresk, or Slidderyford (another view). From a sketch by Sir Henry James,
(close to Slidderyford), is a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 43. It is about two miles and a half E.S.E. of
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County of Down.
289
Castlewellan, and near the shore of Dundrum Bay, on the New-
castle road.
" A very perfect cromlech," says Mr. Gray. " The cap-stone, a granite block,
measures 7 feet 6 ins. by 7 feet 6 ins., and is 19 feet 6 ins. in girth. It covers a
chamber fonned of three blocks of stone, one of which is 6 feet high."
Walter Harris says : " It stands upon three large supporters, each 4 feet above
the surface. The incumbent stone is flat at the top, but, bellying underneath, fills
part of the empty space between the tripod. The upper stone is 10 yards in cir-
cumference, 3 yards broad on the flat surface, and between 4 and 5 feet thick in
the centre." It " has not above an inch dependance on two of the stones, but the
third, which stands north, has a slope in it to receive the great stone."
Dubourdieu describes the •* altar-stone" of this dolmen as "nearly circular,
with a diameter of from 7 to 9 feet, the face 7 feet in length, and 3 feet in thickness,
but the stone, bellying underneath, is much deeper. It is supported by three
stones, one of which has a cavity that just receives the protuberance of the
incumbent stone. . . . The stone is granite, and water-worn. The great supporter
is the same. The smaller supporters are schist The supporters in the rear are 3
feet high. The front supporter is 3 feet 6 ins. in the lowest, and 6 feet in the
highest part" Dubourdieu describes a circle of twelve standing stones near this
dolmen. Two only remain, one of them 1 1 feet high. In the same field as the
dolmen is a souterrain. In the sand-dunes of Dundrum, which the dolmen over-
looks, worked flints, stone implements, pottery, etc., have been found.
**Anc. and Pres. State of the County of Down," p. 199; "Stat. Survey of the County of
Down," by Dubourdieu, p. 272; "Guide to Belfast," p. 203 ; Journ. H.A.A.I. (1883-84), vol. vi.,
4th Sen, p. 365.
In the Barony of Mourne.
I. In the Townland of Dunnaman, and Parish of Kilkeel,
Fig. 268. — Kilkeel. Etched from an engraving on stone.
close to the R. C. Church on the road from Kilkeel to Rosstrevor,
IS a dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 55.
VOL. I. u
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290 The Dolmens of Ireland.
" One of the longest and best kistvaens " (i.e. dolmms-elongees) '* that we " (the
editors of the ** Guide to Belfast ") " know of."
Loc, cit^ p. 206.
2. In the Townland of Kilkeel, and Parish of Kilkeel, is a
dolmen called the Crawtree Stone^ and marked Cromlech in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 56. It is W. of the Kilkeel River, on the road
to Newcastle.
Mr. Gray thinks the name " Crawtee " is derived from cruit = a hump, " which
expresses very clearly the shape of the cap-stone of granite, 9 feet long, and 8 feet
6 ins. wide, that covers the chamber beneath, measuring about 5 feet 6 ins. square,
and formed of four waterworn boulders of granite."
Joum. R.H.A.A.I. (1883-84), vol. vi., 4th Ser., p. 366 ; "Guide to Belfast," p. 204.
In the Barony of Iveagh Lower.
In the Townland of Waringstown (?), and Parish of Donagh-
cloney, " not far from Waringstown," is a chambered tumulus, not
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 20.
In Molyneux's edition of Boate's Natural History there is a notice of "a mount
not far from Waringstown," which "was broken open about the year 1684." As
the people were carrying it away, they met, " in the body of it, with a large, flat
quarry-stone, placed upright in manner of a door or shutter, which, when they had
removed, let them into a narrow, low passage of about 10 foot long, thro' which a
man could only creep on his hands and knees, that led into a small round vault
about 6 foot high, and 8 foot wide, placed in the centre of the mount. In the
middle of the vault were fixt into the ground four small, long stones, each about
2 foot and a half high, standing upright as so many legs to support a flat quarry
stone, 3 foot and a half long, and 20 inches broad, placed upon them in manner
of a table. . . . Under the table, on the ground, was placed a handsome earthem
urn of dark brownish colour, as if not thoroughly bak'd, the thickness of its sides
not more than a quarter of an inch. It contained broken pieces of burnt bones
mixt with the ashes and fragments of burnt wood"
''Natural History of Ireland,*' by Gerard Boate, edit. Thomas Molyneux (Dublin, 1755), p. 199.
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( 291 )
COUNTY OF MONAGHAN.
L\ THE Barony of Dartkee.
1. In the Townland of Calliagh, at Calliagh, in the Parish
of Aghabog, to the S.W. of a small lake, is a dolmen marked
Giants Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 13. It is five miles S.W,
of Monaghan, and the same distance N.E. of Newbliss.
2. In the Townland of Carn, at Cam, in the Parish of
Aghabog, three miles and a half E.N.E. of Newbliss, and a
mile and a half W.S.W. of the Calliagh monument, is a dolmen
marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 13.
3. In the Townland of Latnamard (I^tnambard), and Parish
of Aghabog, the next Townland on the E. to that of Carn, is a
dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 13.
O'Donovan speaks of **a cromlech
and standing-stones — the latter called Fir
Bhrkige^^ in this Townland.
O.S.L., County of Monaghan, -..— ^-, p.
B. 12
132.
4 — 7. In the Townland of
Garran, and Parish of Clones,
three miles N.E. of Newbliss,
three Giants' Graves are so
marked in Ord. Surv. Map No.
1 2. One of these, marked Giant's
Grave, is W. of the road which
traverses the Townland ; the
others, marked Giants Graves^
and apparently two, lie to the
S.E. of the former, and E. of the
road, at a distance of about a
quarter of a mile from it, and
about half a mile W.S.W. of the one at Carn.
Fig. 269. — Near Newbliss (plan of chambered
cairn). From the MSS, if Mr, WindeU in
Lib, R.LA,
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292 The Dolmens of Ireland.
In this Townland, also, or in one of those adjoining it, was
the very important chambered cairn described as having been
"near the old road from Newbliss to Monaghan, about three
miles from the latter place." Its site is not shown in the map, and
probably it has been entirely removed.
The Rev. T. Stopford communicated an account of the discovery of this
chambered cairn to the Evening Mail (DubMn) in 1841.
A plan of it, until now unpublished, was sent by Mr. Stopford, about the same
time, to the Rev. Matthew Horgan, and was copied by Mr. Windele, amongst
whose MSB. in the R.LA. I found it
The account is as follows : "An underground house was discovered last week "
(letter dated August 9th, 1841). " From its perfect state of preservation, it formed a
most curious relic of antiquity. A man, who lately got possession of the farm upon
which it is situated, went to remove an unsightly hillock in a small meadow close
to his house. This little field had been reclaimed a few years ago after the turf had
been cut off it, and from it to the small lake of Keshlin (about 300 yards below it)
was, in the memory of an old man living near it, one continued heath-moor, with
several spades deep of turf under it ,• and he had seen seven spits of turf cut off
the hillock which formed the roof of the house.
** The outer wall is 46 feet (long), by about 16 feet (wide). Outside the entrance
is a semicircular courtyard. The base of the wall surrounding it, as well as that
of all the other walls, is composed of large rough stones, some of them several
tons weight, standing on the ends, something like those of Stonehenge.
" The entrance divided the semicircular wall into two equal segments, and was
formed with two larger stones than the others, sufficiently apart to admit a man
with ease. Inside the entrance was an oval apartment about 12 feet by 8, which
was arched over from within about 4 feet of the base. The arch was composed
of flat stones of different sizes, so carefully selected and fitted (although there was
not a cut stone in the whole building) that the point of a penknife could scarcely
be inserted between them. Each stone projected about i of an inch from the
underneath one, until they met at the top of the roof, which was about 6 feet from
the ground.
** Opposite the entrance, at the other end of this room, was a similar entrance
into a lobby, which led straight to the other extremity of the building, and off which
were six other apartments^ all square, and built and roofed in the same manner as
the first oval one. Two standing-stones, forming the entrance from this latter room
into the corridor, stood somewhat narrower than those of the principal entrance,
and were rubbed and worn on one particular part, as it were from the weapons
of the inhabitants, returning from their hunting or plundering excursions.
" The whole of the floor inside was flagged with slabs of the same stone, and the
outside of the roof covered with the same material^ which is the most remarkable
circumstance connected with it, as (it is freestone and) the nearest freestone quarry
is on Carrowmore Mountain, in the County of Fermanagh, about twenty miles from
this place, and the stone there does not cleave into slabs, and is of quite a different
grain, the former (i.e. the stone of which the floor and roof of the chamber is built)
exactly resembling the Scotch sandstone found along the Clyde. . . .
" The interior was found to be perfectly clean, except that the juice of the bog-
stuff covered it, having trickled down the walls. This appearance, however, may
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County of Monagiian.
293
have been caused by the effect of smoke, though there was no indication of fire
having been used inside. • • .
*' In order to build the structure, it may be concluded that the turf mould was
first excavated, and then laid back again. • . .
** Many of his neighbours say that the owner of the ground, who first dug up
part of the house, found some great curiosities in it ; but he denies it, with the
exception of a round slab of sandstone, with some characters scratched upon it.
One of his children let it fall and broke it."
Mr. Stopford, the writer of this account, in a letter to Mr. Horgan, refers again
to ''the carved stone," as he calls this slab, which he states was then in his
possession. '* It was broken," he says, ''into several pieces. The workmanship is
really the most elaborate thing possible, and, as there was no other appearance of
the chisel, or even hammer having been used in any other manner whatsoever in
the whole building, I must conclude that it was an importation, as well as the
sandstone flags covering over the arched roof outside, and the floor within." He
adds his opinion that " this flat carved stone was the god brought by the builders
on their first arrival in the country."
"In his anxiety to discover hidden treasure," a man "completely gutted the
whole building, except the large standing-stones, and part of the floor."
A comparison of the plan of this monument with those of chambered cairns in
C|uthness and Argyleshire will establish the identity of type. See also the Tombes
des Grants of Sardinia^ infra.
Evening Mail (Dublin), August 9, 1841 ; MSS. of J. Windele, Lib. R.I.A., vol. marked "8,
Windele's Miscellany," p. 121.
8. In the Townland of Edergole, and Parish of Ematris,
Fig. 270. — Edergole. Etched from a photograph,
is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 18.
It is half a mile N.W. of Coolkill Lake, and five miles S.E. of
Newbliss.
I am able to give an illustration of this monument from a photograph kindly
lent me by LieuL-Col. Vigors, M.R.I.A.
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
In the Barony of Monaghan.
I. In the Townland of Lennan, and Parish of Tullycorbet, is a
Fig. 271. — Lennan (sculpturing upon the dolmen at ). From a sketch by Sir Samtul
jFergussoHy front a cast.
dolmen not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 19. East of it is a
lake now called Ghost Louglu\
An interest attaches to this dolmen, which is a fine one, from the fact that it
bears on one of its stones some scribings which some have thought to be the
characters of some rude inscription. "The lines," which are upon one of the
Fig. 272. — Lennan. From a sketch by Sir Samuel Fergusson.
supporters of the large flag which forms the roof, ** are," says O'Donovan, " dis-
tinctly cut in a part of the pillar-stone on which the weather could never have
any eflfect"
A rough sketch of the markings is given by O'Donovan ; Dr. Graves made a
rubbing of them in 1849, and Sir Samuel Fergusson has given a drawing made from
t Ghost Lake is probably the faulty English rendering of Loch na Seal, ** Lake of the Cham-
pions,'* as it should be, and not Loch na Scaul, "Lake of the Shadow," or "Ghost,** as it was
popuUurly rendered. Compare the lake of this name in Fermanagh, where a legend of two
champions is told to account for the name.
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County of Monaghan. 295
casts. Besides the so-called inscription, there was a figure which may have been
intended for a boat, such as is found in Scandinavian rock sculpturings, with a high
prow curved backwards, and a few perpendicular strokes, possibly intended for men.
O.S.L., County of Monaghan, —-, p. S6; "Journ. Kilk. Archaeol. Soc," vol. ii (1872-73),
p. 524 ; Sir Samuel Ferguson on •• Inscribed Cromleacs."
In the Barony of Cremorne.
*i. In the Townland of Tullynagrow, and Parish of Muckno,
IS a monument marked Druid's Circle in Ord. Surv. Map No.
1 5, but indicated by two parallel lines of stones.
Mr. Shirley mentions " some standing-stones here."
" Hist, of the County of Monaghan," by Evelyn Philip Shirley, p. 515.
2. In the Townland of Knocknaneen, and Parish of Muckno,
is a dolmen-cairn not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 15.
Mr. Bell states that ''in the interior structure of this caim quantities of human
bonesy not burnt, were found. Near the end of each of the sepulchres," he adds,
''stood an earthen bowl, not unlike a cocoa-nut-shell goblet They were im-
pressed with a pattern with considerable taste. Three cromlechs were included
in the mound."
Newry Magcaine, vol. ii. p. 237.
3. In the Townland of Corlealackagh, and Parish of Clon-
tibret, is a dolmen marked Giant's Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No.
19. It is S. of the road from Monaghan to Castle-BIayney, about
four miles N.W. of the latter place. About half a mile to the S.E.,
in the Townland of Lislanly, is a monument marked The White
Stones, and indicated by a small plan of a stone circle, with two
pillars beside it. The Lakes of Lackagh, or Moneyvolen, and
Laragh are near these monuments to the E. and N.E.
Mr. Shirley calls this " a giant's grave, or cromlech."
" Hist, of the County of Monaghan,** p. 503.
4. In the Townland of Carrickinare, and Parish of Ballybay,
a Gianfs Grave is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 24.
** A cromlech, or giant's grave," says Mr. Shirley.
" Hist, of the County of Monaghan," p. 497.
5. In the Townland of Lattonfasky, and Parish of Aghana-
mullen, a Cromlech is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 24. It is
N. of Lough Eglish, and near Lagan Lake.
6. In the Townland of Lisnadarragh, and Parish of Aghana-
muUen, a Cromlech is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 27. It lies
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296 The Dolmens of Ireland.
S. of the road leading from Cootehill to Carrickmacross, on the
borders of the county. In the N. part of the same Townland is
a portion of the lake called Lough Dermot, and N. of this, again,
is an elevated site marked Crockbrack.
Mr. Shirley calls this a "cromlech." It is described as being composed of
"seven standing stones, the highest about 6 feet, with several smaller ones disposed
like a • Giant's Grave,* about 8 yards long and 3 yards broad."
" Hist, of the County of Monaghan," p. 493.
In the Barony of Farney.
*i. In the Townland of Fincarn, and Parish of Donaghmoyne,
is a monument {} dolmen-circle), marked Fincarn in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 25.
Mr. Shirley speaks of this monument as '' traces of a Druidical circle.''
'* Hist, of the County of Monaghan," p. 522.
2. In the Townland of Tiragarvan, and Parish of Magheross,
is a dolmen, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 31.
"A cromlech, or giant's grave, now destroyed," says Mr. Shirley, "in which
bones were found when it was dug up."
" Hist, of the County of Monaghan," p. 533.
*3. In the Townland of Gloghvalley Lower, and Parish of
Magheross, to the W. of the road from Ballybay to Carrick-
macross, is a site marked Fin MacCooPs Table in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 31. Near it is a cave and standing stones. The next Town-
land to the N. is called Lisgall. It is close to Lake Aphuca, and
about two miles N. of Carrickmacross. At a distance of about
three quarters of a mile S.S.W. of Carrickmacross, in the Town-
land of Doohalty, is a rock marked Fin MacCoofs Chair.
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COUNTY OF ARMAGH.
In the Barony of Fews Lower.
I. In the Townland of Carnavanaghan, and Parish of
Kilcloony, four miles S.E. of Armagh, is a dolmen-cairn marked
Vicar's Cam in Ord. Surv. Map No. i6. The site of the cairn is
the top of an elevated ridge of country, the ground on which it
stands being much higher than any other part of the district
within many miles of it, and the spot commanding a view of seven
different counties.
There is an account of this cairn, accompanied by two plates, in the Trans,
of the R.I.A., contained in two letters ; the one written by Dr. Browne, of Trin.
ColL Dublin ; the other by the Rev. John Younjf.
"Being at Armagh," says Dr. Browne, "in the year 1797, Dr. Newcombe, the
Lord Primate, told me it was generally said that on a high hill," about 4^ miles
.:j^-<^,|4*^^:. ^^^ti^^E^^ -r^'%9^
•V '.
'*!;:;
■■'■■^^-
^-- --_. 9 ^e
. ^-^^"
:--^
^
Fig. 273.— Carnavanaghan.
from the town, " an ogham inscription was to be found." Dr. Browne accordingly
rode thither, and found on its summit a conical mount, or, rather, heap of small
stones, surrounded by a regular circle of large ones, upright and about 2i feet high.
The country-people immediately directed him to one of the stones on which
they said the inscription was, and, " after some doubts," he convinced himself that
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298 The Dolmens of Ireland.
the indentures on it were artificial, *' a view," he adds, " which was strongly con-
firmed by the tradition of the country."
On a subsequent occasion he again visited the place, and found, on going round
the cairn, what appeared to be the entrance to a cave. On returning to '* the ^Titten
stone," more indented lines were observed towards the bottom of the interior face.
Mr. Young, writing in 1799, states that the cairn was once much larger, but
had been used for a length of time as a quarry. The area, in his time, was
circular, and measured 44 yards in diameter. He mentions that the stone, having
the supposed characters on it, was **the most perfect stone" of the ring, and that
it '^ stood at an angle of 25^ from the perpendicular, this declination being intended
the better to contain the smaller stones.
" In the year 1785, John M'Carrol, proprietor of the ground, having penetrated
the W. side further than it had been opened before, had come upon a door-case.
It appeared perfectly sound, but, when touched, fell into dustf It had been
supported there by the stones piled up on either side." Removing more stones,
" he at length came to a wall situated E. and W., on either side of the door-case.
The stones were placed together without any kind of cement, and seemed to have
been regularly prepared for the building." After having traced this wall for 10 feet,
he desisted from his work.
To these notices of the cairn is added a drawing of it by Mr. Young, showing
eighteen stones of the surrounding circle, amongst which that bearing the supposed
ogham is the tallest and squarest. A second plate shows the latter stone itself,
and upon it perpendicular lines of various lengths, but without the central stem-
line of the usual ogham writing. I do not think it worth inserting here.
Mr. Bell, of Dundalk, describes this cairn as " the most perfect Icachta " he
" had met with." " This pile of stones," he proceeds, '* was of a plano-convex
figure. It is enclosed by a circle which is imperfect, but which consists of fifl}'-
five flat stones fixed in the earth, with their upper edges inclining outwards. The
circle is 380 feet in circumference. On the edge of one of these stones of the
circle are stven concentric circles^ nicely carved in regular grooves^
Upon this latter fact, Mr. Bell remarks that " curious and rudely formed ancient
ornaments are very frequently met with engraven on cromlechs, but," he adds, " I
have never discovered any inscriptions that appear to have just daims to antiquity."
He instances a case in which ''lines on a stone " turned out to be a tally kept by
a carman who hired carriers. The district over which Mr. Bell extended his
researches is not one in which oghams are found. Had there been any, I feel sure
they would not have escaped the notice of one so observant as he was, and so
practical in the conclusions he drew.
In a notice of this cairn, communicated to the R.H.A.A.I., which has been
annotated by Dr. Reeves, Dr. Leslie Riggs states that "in 1815 Mr. Bell, a man
of antiquarian research and . information, made an examination of the cairn, and
the result is given in Stuart's * History of Armagh.' " He found only " a sewer, which
had been formed along the bottom of the tumulus, but no cromlech or sepulchral
monument" The fact, however, that the cairn had served as a quarry leads me
to think that this " sewer," which was seemingly the parallel walling previously un-
covered, had at one time been roofed over with covering-stones so well fitted for
building purposes that they had been removed. That the cairn originally contained
a dolmen, or chamber, there can, I think, be little doubt from the above accounts.
t The ruinous condition of the interior of some cairns is attributable, I believe, to the cists and
passages being formed, or partially formed, of wood.
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County of Armagh. 299
" Mr. Bell had previously opened above sixty earns," says Dr. Riggs, " and in
each had discovered a cromlech." In many of them he had found urns of baked
clay containing burnt bones, and charred and adipose matter.
How greatly the pile had diminished between the years 1815 and 1868 may
be judged from Dr. Riggs' measurement of its diameter, which in the latter year
was only 44 yards. The circle of upright stones had been entirely removed, and
only one of them existed, leaning against a small unoccupied house which had
been erected in the neighbourhood. On this stone, which was about 5 feet high,
and a sandstone, were some markings, but whether the effects of water, or ogham
characters, Dr. Riggs could not determine. It has only to be added that Sir
Samuel Fergusson subsequently saw a stone which, it may be supposed, was this
same one, and stated his opinion that the marks were purely natural Mr. Bell's
discovery, however, of the stone with seven concentric circles is a foct which
remains uncontested.
Trans. R.I.A., vol. viii., ** Antiqiiiti<!S,*' p. 3 ; Newry Magatitu^ vol. ii. p. 237 ; ** Memoirs of
the City of Armagh," by Stuart, p. 609 ; Journ. R.H.A.A.I., 3rd Ser. (1868-69), p. 157.
In the Barony of Armagh.
1. In the Townland of Aughnagurgan, and Parish of Keady,
is a dolmen-cairn not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 20.
"A very fine cairn," says Mr. Bell, "with a cromlech in it." The covering-
stone measured 11 feet 10 ins. long, and was "placed over seven pillars, but in
reality supported only by one." By this, I suppose, must be meant that the
structure had collapsed, and that one end or side rested on the ground.
Newry Magazine^ vol. ii. p. 237.
In the Barony of Orior Upper.
*i. In the Townland of Cloghinny, and Parish of Killevy, a
rock marked Cloghinny is shown in Ord. Surv. Map No. 22. It
is to the W. of Newry Canal, and about six miles N. of Newry.
2. In the Townland of Duvernagh, and Parish of Killevy,
is a dolmen marked Cromlech, Grey Sto7ies, in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 22. It is a mile and a half S.W. of Cloghinny.
3. In the Townland of Carnbane, and Parish of Newry, a mile
and three quarters N. of Newry, at a spot between Newry Canal
and Newry River, near the sixth lock, a earn is marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 26, and indicated by an oval (having its greater
diameter E. and W.), with six black dots for stones in its
circumference.
In Harris's "Account of the County of Down " there is a notice of a cairn at
this place. It measured, in 1744, 180 yards in circumference, and 10 yards in
conical height It is added that about the base of this ''coped heap" were
''forty-two pillar-stones pitched upright, and others lying flat on the ground.
One of these measured 15 feet long, 2 feet broad, and i foot thick. In an
adjoining field southward were eleven of these stones, pitched on end in the
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
ground, irregularly placed, and bearing no form to each other. The furthest was
within 300 yards of the cairn.'*
Sir Charles Coote has also described this cairn in his " Survey of the County of
'1
i
Fig. 274.— Carnbane elevation. Ffvm sketch in Sir C, Cootis Survey,
Armagh," and that he indicates the same monument as Harris is clear from the fact
that the dimensions they both give are identical
Mr. Bell proposes to identify the spot on which the cairn stood with that on
which a "cromlech" called Clochanramer stood in his time, and which formerly,
as was known in the vicinity, was enclosed in a cairn. In the account written in
1744, no cromlech is mentioned, but only the cairn, the structure or structures
within not being, presumably, so Mr. Bell thinks, at that time exposed. " The
cairn," he adds, " covered many other cromlechs, some of which contained human
bones much broken,"
On looking carefully at this passage about this cairn in Sir Charles Coote's
Survey, which was written in 1804, quoted
above, it is clear that he was merely
quoting Harris. Between the date, how-
ever, when the latter had written his
account, and that at which Sir Charles
wrote his work, the cairn must have been
removed and the dolmen and surrounding
stones left, which led Sir Charles into
the error of supposing that near Newry
there must have been two places of the
same name, viz. Cairn^ or Tiachg/ig/ta
Bauy at one of which was the cairn
mentioned by Harris, and at the other
what he (Sir Charles) considered to be
a " Pagan Temple," which, in truth, was
nothing more nor less than Harris's Cam-
bane, or Tlachghgha (rect Tlachtga)
Ban, partially denuded. It will be as
well to quote his (Sir Charles's) words
about the monument : —
•*This remarkable place differs from
most of those antiquities (ascribed to the
Druids) which I have seen, as having a deep, sloping bank far outside the * mount,'
enclosed with upright stones, and which is about 200 yards in circumference. The
entire area which it covers may be about a rood of ground, and is rather on a
Fig.
275. — Carnbane ground-plan.
plan in Sir C, Coolers Survey.
From a
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County of Armagh. 301
gentle eminence in a large plain enclosed by lofty hills at some distance, forming
a spacious amphitheatre.
"The stones are of a hard grit, resembling granite.
" Within this glacis, or slope, the base of the temple gradually rises towards the
mound, whose circumference is 160 yards, and is completely girthed and enclosed
with long and ponderous stones set upright and closely joined together.
" At the N.W. aspect the principal entrance is formed by a simple bank of easy
ascent ; and at the opposite extreme there is another opening, which appears to be
rather accidental than of original design. It is much narrower than the other, and
is contiguous to the altar, which lies in this point
" The horizontal slab, which is very ponderous, rests on three upright stones,
each about 10 feet long, though they do not appear to be so much as half
their height above the surface, until we examine the close, hollow spot in which
they stand below the level of the ground. Nine smaller stones, set up in like
manner, form the paling of the altar, but the slab does not rest upon any of them.
They only serve to wedge in and support the three principal bearing-stones.
The slab is almost a triangular shape, whose sides measure 20 feet ; but it appears
to have had originally far greater dimensions, from the circumstance that the ground
which joins this altar is sunk in like manner for a distance of many feet, and also is
enclosed with upright stones set up in the same position, and on a level with those
which support the slab. It is the more probable that this slab was of greater size,
as, in any of those " (other monuments of this kind) " now existing, there is no stone
paling but what immediately encloses the altar, and on which the horizontal flag-
stone rests." The " paling " was clearly a peristyle.
** This ancient relic," adds Sir Charles, " was, about five years ago " (that would
mean in about 1799), "in perfect preservation in every respect, excepting the slab ;
and I am concerned to state that the present occupier of the lands, an opulent
brewer in Newry, has almost entirely dismantled the outer paling, and appro-
priated the stones to building in the town. This devastation has already reached
the interior works ; but it is hoped that here the sacrilege will rest, and that the
altar will be spared .... The annexed drawing," he concludes, "represents its
figure as it stood about five years ago." The destruction which he hoped might be
averted has, unfortunately, overtaken the dolmen.
"Ancient and Present State of the County of Down," by Walter Harris, pp. 203 and 207;
" Stat. Survey of the County of Armagh," by Sir Charles Coote, p. 382.
4. In the Townland of AnnacloghmulHn, and Parish of Killevy,
two miles S. of Belleek, is a dolmen-cairn marked Cave in Ord.
Surv. Map No. 25, and indicated by a small ground-plan, showing
a long tumulus with a V-shaped structure within it. The adjoin-
ing Townland to the W. is called Carnacally.
This monument is an elliptical hill, 44 yards in length, and 24 yards in breadth.
On September the 7th, 1791, as stated by Mr. Bell, Sir Walter Synnot, the
owner of the land, caused this tumulus to be opened, previous to which it had
simply the appearance of a " stony hill."
Two stones, which, prior to the operations, were observed to be protruding
through the surface to the height of 8 or 10 inches, proved to be the tops of the
two rude pillar-stones shown in the drawing. The workmen commenced to
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The Dolmens of Ireland.
excavate by the side of these pillars, which proved to be 13 feet high,t and
Fig. 276. — Annaclochmullin. Etched from an illustrcUion in ^^ Etruria Celiica,^^
continued their operations until " the regular designed front " of a stone structure
buried in the mound " was exposed to view." This " front," as will be seen by
reference to the plan which accompanies the drawing in the Newry Magazine^ and
which I have enlarged, was semicircular in form. In the centre of the semicircle
was the entrance to a long chamber, or rather series of chambers, placed one beyond
the other, the entire "passage" being divided into four
portions, or apartments, the one leading on from the other in
a straight line, like a succession of lobbies, extending to a
total length of 37 feet
Mr. Bell describes it as follows : " A gallery, or passage,
formed of two rows of large slabs, or flat stones, about 9 feet
long and 7 feet high, extending 19 yards into the hiU,
support incumbent slabs of great size. This gallery is divided
into four apartments, about 9 feet by 8 feet, which communi-
cate with each other by a square aperture about 4 feet high,
the side of which consists of rude stone pillars resting upon
the sill, and covered with lintels of large stones surmounted
by other large stones which form the roof. From the sides and ends of these
apartments, springing from the upright walls, large stones project over each other
gradually, until they nearly meet, when an immense flagstone closes all, and
forms the covering-root
" These stones appear like inverted steps, or stairs, and are supported in their
place by the weight of the mass resting on their other extremity. The height from
the floor to the covering-flag of these apartments is about 7 feet 6 ins. In the second
chamber from the entrance was found a broken earthen vase." %
Fig. 277.— Urn from
Annaclochmullin.
From rough sketch in
'^Etruria CeUica:'
t With these two pillar-stones we may compare the so-called ** Custodes," which, according to
Uekmann, are almost mvariably present in the *' Hiinebedden " of Brandenburg.
\ If the drawing can be trusted, it is of unique form in Ireland, but by no means so in Germany
and Southern Europe.
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County of Armagh.
O'-'J
Mr. Bell adds that he had no opportunity of searching for human bones. A
fragment of the urn is represented in the drawing of the monument, from which
it appears that it was ornamented with a chevron pattern beneath a line
of dots, which do not appear in the drawing.
Letter from Mr. John Bell to ihe Newry Magazine^ August ii, 1815 ; ** Etruria Celtica," by
Sir William Betham, vol. ii. p. 173.
<^^Mmm^m^ ^^musi^
Fig. 278. — AnnaclochmuUin. Plan enlarged from *^ Etruria Celticay
5. In the Townland of Bally macdermot (or ? in that of
Ballinliss adjoining), and Parish of Killevy, was a chambered
cairn. No cairn is marked in Ballymacdermot in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 26, but there is one marked Cam in Ballinliss.
Mr. Bell speaks of this cairn as similar to that at Cairnbane, in the County of
Londonderry, and to that of Killeavy (/>. Annacloghmullin)just noticed. It was,
therefore, we may suppose, a chambered cairn. **No bones," he says, "were found
in the apartments, but an urn containing pulverized matter was found in one of
the chambers."
NeTury Magazine^ vol. ii. p. 237.
6. In the Townland of Latbirget, and Parish of Forkill, about
two miles W. of the summit of Slieve Gullion, and three miles
N.E. of a great entrenchment in the Townland of Dorsy, a
Giant's Grave is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 28.
7. In the Townland of Ballykeel, and Parish of Forkill, is a
dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 28. It lies
about a quarter of a mile S.W. of the Latbirget monument.
1 think these may be the two tamkachta "at the foot of Slieve Gullion,"
mentioned by Mr, Bell. " Originally," he says, " they were conical cairns ; now
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304 The Dolmens of Ireland.
the cromlechs are exposed." By tamleacht Mr. Bell means a sepulchral monument
— the cairn and its enclosed dolmen in one.
Newry Magazine, vol. ii. p. 237.
8. In the Townland of Slieve-Gullion, and Parish of Forkill,
half a mile N.N.W. of the summit, and close to the N. margin of
a little lake, a Cam is marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 28. It is
on the boundary-line between the Townlands of Ballanard and
Slieve-Gullion.
9, 10. In the Townland of Clonlum, and Parish of Killevy,
about one mile and a quarter E. of the summit of Slieve-Gullion,
was a dolmen marked Cromlech in Ord. Surv. Map No. 29 ; also
a second not marked.
Mr. Bell says that there was a large cairn on the top of this mountain, which
contained " a series of apartments formed of immense blocks of granite." He
succeeded in getting under some of the covering-stones.
He mentions also that " on Slieve-Gullion " there was a " cromlech of small size,
or kistvaen."
Newry Magatine, vol. ii. p. 237.
II. In the Townland of Clontygora, and Parish of Killevy,
was a dolmen-cairn marked Cam and Cromlech in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 29. It is W. of the Canal and the Newry River, about
five miles S. of Newry.
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IV. PROVINCE OF LEINSTER.
COUNTY OF LOUTH.
In the Barony of Dundalk Lower.
I, 2. In the Townland of Proleek, and Parish of Ballymas-
canlan, are two dolmens marked respectively Cromlech and Giant's
Grave in Ord. Surv. Map No. 4. They are both in the same
field, just to the W. of the stream called the Proleek River, where
it falls into a northern reach of Dundalk Bay.
These two monuments stand at a distance of 85 paces apart^ the long wedge-
shaped one (p. 307) lying S.E. of the tall one, which is appropriately called the
Gianfs Load^ since, on entering the field from the river side, it presents an exact
picture of a man in grey walking away from you, and stooping beneath the weight
of a bulky sack of the same colour, which he bears on his shoulders.
It is on the difference exhibited by two such megalithic structures as these,
that Irish antiquaries have based the distinction they have drawn between so-called
iry
Fig. 279.— Proleek, " Giant's Load." Etched from a photograph.
Cromlechs^ or Dolmens proper^ such as those of Kernanstown, Woodtown, Howth,
and above all, this one at Proleek, and Gianfs Graves including all the rest, that
is to say, all the long, trough-like, wedge-shaped structures, such as the Labbacallee,
the Burren (Cavan) example, the second one here at Proleek, and hundreds of
others. It is the same distinction which French antiquaries recognize in the
VOL. I. X
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3o6
The Dolmens of Ireland.
respective terms, dolmens carries and dolmens elongees. Whether such a distinction
exists in reality or not is a question which will be discussed at a subsequent page.
There is no sign that the " Giant's Load " was ever covered over by a tumulus or
cairn.
The dimensions of the stones are respectively as follows : —
<* Length of sides
A
Total circumference
V, Height
Length of sides ...
Total circumference
Height
Length of sides ...
Total circumference
Height
s.w.
side
= 5 feet.
N.N.E.
tt
= 5 feet 6 ins.
N.W.
It
= IQ inches.
N.
})
= 15 inches.
S.
»»
= 6 inches.
= 13 feet 9 ins.
= 7 feet.
w.
side
= 5 feet 6 ins.
■ N.
>»
= 15 inches.
S.
i%
= 2 feet 6 ins.
N.E.
y«
= 3 feet 9 ins.
S.E.
)«
= 3 feet 4 ins.
= 15 feet 4 ins.
...
...
- 7 feet 6 ins.
N.N.W.
side
= s feet 10 ins.
• S.W.
II
= I foot 10 ms.
W.
1*
= 7 feet.
= 14 feet 8 ins.
= 6 feet.
The two stones upon which C rests at the S. end measure (D) i foot 3 ins.
wide, by i foot thick ; (E) i foot long, 6 inches broad, and 7 inches thick.
Fig. 280.— Proleek (No. L), "Giant's Load." Etched from a photograph.
Several other loose stones lie about them, and many others around and under
the N.E. end of C, which has in this direction no support on the ground. The
displacement of D or E would upset the entire structure.
The stone F measures 2 feet broadby i foot 6 ins. high ; G is a fiat stone, about
the same size at the top as F.
Having no ladder, I could not measure the roofing-stone H with the accuracy
I should have desired. It is, however, about 15 feet long from N.W. to S.E., by
about 13 feet 6 ins. in greatest breadth over the tops of A and B, on which it
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County of Louth.
307
rests, and it gradually tapers towards the S.E., to the point where it rests on C,
and overlaps it. It measures from 5 to 6 feet thick. Mr. Thomas 0*Conor, in
the " Ord. Surv. Letters," estimates its weight at 60 tons.
Fig. 281.— Proleek (No. II.), ** Giant's Load." Pian by the Author,
SCIdQ QCDciDjg0
Fig. 282.— Proleek (No. II.). Flan by the Author, Scale { inch = i foot.
Fig. 283.— Proleek (No. II.). Sketch by the Author,
The dimensions of the second dolmen, called the " Giant's Grave," are as
follows: —
Cap-stones .• a = 8 feet 2 ins. long ; 5 feet 6 ins. in greatest breadth ; 3 feet
thick ; ^ = 3 feet 3 ins. long ; 2 feet 5 ins. broad ; 7 inches thick.
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3o8
The Dolmens of Ireland.
Vault: Length, 21 or 22 feet 6 inches; breadth (W. end) 6 feet; (E. end)
about 2 feet 6 ins.
Other stones : —
Length.
Height.
Thickness.
ft.
ins.
ft.
ms.
ft. •
ms.
A = 9
7
3
10
3
B = 2
7
2
3
I
5
C = 3
2
9
2
3
D = 2
10
2
7
2
E = 2
6
I
5
I
8
F = 2
2
2
I
2
Ci = 3
2
6
I
2
H = 3
2
3
8
3
6 to 2 ft. 6 ins.
1 = 2
8
2
8
I
2
J = 3
8
3
3 (broad)
I
(probably part of ;
a cap-stone which had been split by a borer)
K = 3
2
2
6
2
L = 2
3
2
I
2
M = I
II
I
10
I
10
N = 2
I
3
5
10
= 2
10
2
10
I
6
P = 2
I
I
6
I
4
Q=i
6
I
2
*
I
I
R = 2
2
1
3
S = 5
6
3
3
to 3 ins.
T = 3
7
3
6
2
I
U = 2
9
I
3
V = 2
6
2
I.
W = 2
8
I
6
2
X = 3
4
3
(broad)
I
8
V = 3
2
5 (broad)
I
3
Z = 4
2
4 (broad)
I
: «» r^H
hAre Hr/I Qnr
w f
'n T^nfh.*'
14
n. It
V) : n1«n Huhlit
(Sec MS. "Letters, Ord. Surv. Co. Louth," £-t^» ?• 309; also Z?«^//if Unwersiiy
Magaune^ vol. Ixxvi. p. 144 ; also Wright's " Louthiana,*' where the " Giant's Load" is figured.)
In the Barony of Dundalk Upper.
*r. In the Townland of Bally nahattin, and Parish of Dundalk,
there was an anomalous
monument. It is not
marked in Ord. Surv.
Maps Nos. 4 or 7, but the
adjoining Townlands on
the W. are called Cam
More and Cam Beg.
^
'•sffej
Wright gives a rough illustra-
tion of this monument No scale
accompanies it, but it appears to
have been an enclosure of oval,
or, rather, pear-shaped form, as
it seems to* narrow to a point
at one end, which is, however,
imperfect There is an external
ring, consisting of nine rude
blocks of stone, inside which is
a deep ditch or moat, and within
that again a vallum, on which some stones are depicted. Tlie trench and vallum
Fig. 284.— Ballynahattin.
^*' Louthiana,
From Wrights
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County of Louth.
309
are perfect around three-fourths, or thereabouts, of the area. The space enclosed
contains two circles of upright stones, placed concentrically, with a few other
stones outside thenu
The description of Mount Ash in Lewis's " Topographical Dictionary " corre-
sponds so closely with this account, that I am inclined to think it refers to the
same monument It is described as *' a curious fort, consisting of an oval mount,
the surface of which is depressed, and smrounded with a vallum, there being a
second vallum with a ditch around two-thirds of the circumference."
Similar enclosures occur in the West of Ireland, and sometimes in connection
with dolmens, which is my reason for noticing it here. An enclosure very like
it has been observed in the Island of Jersey. The number of large rocks
siUTOunding it in that case is ten. A plan and description are given in S. C.
Wagener's " Handbuch der Alterthiimer," p. 350, and pL 61, fig. 630.
(See Wright's " Louthiana.")
In the Barony of Louth.
*i. In the Townland of Priorstate, and Parish of Louth, was
the reputed grave of Lug Lamfhada. It is not marked in Ord.
Surv. Map No. ir, but was near ancient remains called Seapoll
Molt and Fagh-anraighe.
The "Grave of Lug" existed here until, a few years before the survey was
taken, it was destroyed. Being called a " Giant's Grave," it was perhaps a dolmen.
O.S.L., Co. of Leath, ^^ , p. 213.
2. In the Townland of Killeen, and Parish of Louth, a mile
»-,
Fig. 285.— Killeen or Killing. From Wrights '' Louthiana:'
and a half S.W. of Louth Abbey, was a dolmen with sculptured
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;io
The Dolmens of Ireland.
markings, not marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. ii. This Town-
land is bordered on the S. by the Lagan River. The next
Townland to the W. of it is called Feraghs, which I conclude is
the Fagh-an-aighe of Wright — not to be confused with a place
with a similar name and legend close to Louth Abbey. He
describes the Fagh-an-aighe as situated " a quarter of a mile from
the cromlech at Killeenl' or Killin Hill, but it was not itself a
dolmen.
In Wright's ** Louthiana " a group of monuments is figured, one of which
is certainly a dolmen, on " Killing Hill.'' From the rough drawing it would appear
that it was situated on the higher of two elevations, on the first and nearest of
which was a circle of stones, which, perhaps, also surrounded a dolmen-cairn
removed.
The dolmen, which Wright terms " the altar," was itself surrounded by a circle
of pyramidal stones, on which, he adds, " are rude carvings, as at New Grange."
The author of the ** Topographical Dictionary " also speaks of " circles and a
cromlech on Killin Hill''
Lastly, Mr. Bell, in the Newry Magazine^ describes a monument, which is evidently
the same, on " Killion Hill^ near Dundalk," where, he says, " there is a very fine
cromlech, partially covered with a large cairn, surrounded by pillars." " In the
interior of this cromlech," he adds, ** are sculptured ornaments, which give us
interesting specimens of the early state of the fine arts."
See Wright's ** Louthiana," Lewis's " Topographical Dictionary," and the Newry Magazine^
vol. ii. p. 234.
In the Barony of Ferrard.
I. In the Townland of Paddock, and Parish of Monasterboice,
Fig. 286.— Paddock, **The llag*s Bed " (Monasterboice). From a drawing by G. Du Noyer.
three-quarters of a mile N.E. of Monasterboice old graveyard,
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County of Louth.
;ii
is a dolmen marked Calliagh Dirras House in Ord. Surv. Map
No. 21.
This remarkably fine and perfect dolmen has been described and figured
by Mr, Du Noyer. The interior measured 12 feet 8 ins. long, by 3 feet wide
at the W. end, and 4 feet at the E. end, thus presenting the same wedge-shaped
ground-plan noticed so often that
it may be regarded as an almost
invariable and essential charac-
teristic. If, however, Mr. Du
Noyer's compass was correct, it
is to be noted that the usual
arrangement is reversed, the
broader end being towards the £.
Five large flagstones set on
edge compose the S. side, to- Fig. 287.— Paddock, "The Hag's Bed" (Monasterboice).
gether with an outer, or supple-
mental stone. A like number form the N. side, which is not so long, but which is
also provided with a supplemental stone, to afford, apparently, greater strength
to the side- stones.
A large slab closed either end, and four flagstones formed the roof. Against
the S. side, externally, five smaller stones were set on edge at right-angles, or
in buttress fashion, which were seemingly intended for actual buttresses, and not,
as Mr. Du Noyer thought, for partitions of cists, A similar structural detail is
observable in the case of one of the dolmens at Knockan^, in the county of Cork.
It was the opinion of Mr, Du Noyer that this Monasterboice dolmen had been
covered with a tumulus.
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[12 The Dolmens of Ireland.
COUNTY OF LONGFORD.
In the Barony of Longford.
I. In the Townland of Melkagh, and Parish of Killoe, was a
dolmen-circle marked Dermot and Granids Bed in Ord. Surv.
Map No. 5. It is indicated by a circle of five dots.
In the Barony of Granard.
I, In the Townland of Grassyard, and Parish of Granard, was
a dolmen marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 10, Dermot and Granids
Cave, Carricknahoo. It is about half a mile N. of the Moat of
Granard.
In the Barony of Moydow.
I. In the Townland of Cloonker, and Parish of Moydow, was
a dolmen marked in Ord. Surv. Map No. 18, Site of Ker's Grave,
and indicated by two parallel rows of three stones each.
O'Donovan states that this monument measured 15 feet long.
O.S.L., Co. of Longford, £ j^, p. 76.
i
END OF VOL. I.
/
FRINTSD BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITJiD, LONDON AND BECCLES.
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